Silent Song
by Cocoa987
Summary: Her name is Catherine. She's just a scared little girl." The Cullens adopt expecting another family member. Catherine is looking for a place to feel safe. Both quickly realize that all is not what it seems. Post Breaking Dawn.
1. Catherine's POV

Catherine's POV

Catherine's POV

I heard footsteps coming toward my bunk in the orphanage. _Clomp. Clomp. Clompclompclomp. _I sensed something else too: a smaller, lighter set of steps, almost noiseless. I turned my back toward the door and rested my head lightly on the wall. There were five short raps on the door, and it creaked open. The caretaker began to speak.

"This is Catherine. Everyone calls her Cathy." I flinched, almost imperceptibly. I hated being called Cathy, especially after- the lady was continuing. I tuned back in.

"She's thirteen years old. It's younger than your other children, but at the moment she's all we have. She doesn't speak, and won't allow anyone to touch her at all."

"Cathy?" A different voice said. It was a woman, and the voice was beautiful. I flinched, than slowly, carefully turned around. The woman was gorgeous, with golden-brown eyes. "I won't hurt you, Cathy," The woman said softly. "My name is Esme. I would like to adopt a beautiful girl like you. You'd be safe with us." _Us? _ I thought. _And me, beautiful? _"Would you like to come home with me?" Esme asked. I gazed at her. I didn't have much choice in the matter. If she liked me, I was going to end up with her.

"Think about it. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do." Esme said, and that decided it for me. I nodded very, very slowly, and Esme's face lit up. Almost instinctively, she reached in to hug me. I stopped breathing. In the half second it took for her to react I had crawled up to the top bunk, sobbing, curled up in the corner furthest away from the woman.

Esme's beautiful face transformed from happiness to horror instantly. "Oh, Cathy!" I flinched through my tears. "Cathy, I'm so sorry." As I calmed down, I clutched my tiny stuffed penguin to my chest.

"She won't let go of that old dirty penguin." The caretaker continued. "I know you wanted to adopt, but if you've changed you mind I certainly understand." I glared at her, than glanced warily at Esme. Her eyes flashed, and for a split second they seemed rimmed with black.

"I don't think I have changed my mind, miss. If I dare say, that was a very impolite thing to say. If this girl still trusts me enough, I will welcome her into my family with open arms." She retorted, voice as cold as ice. When she looked at me, her expression and tone had softened. "Catherine, honey, I'm so incredibly sorry. I swear no one will ever touch you without permission again. Do you still want to come home with me?" Esme asked pleadingly. I considered for a moment, than caught her intense eyes. She looked nice, yet strong enough to keep a promise. I found myself nodding. Esme smiled, and the room's atmosphere changed.

"Excellent. Cathy, do you have any things?" I grabbed my tiny backpack and stood up. "Okay. Let's go home." I followed Esme out the door, not looking back once.

"You'll need to sign some papers," called the caretaker.

"I'll come back tomorrow and sign them with my husband," Esme called back, not looking behind her. "Everyone is so excited to meet their new little sister! Everyone is older than you, closer to 17. Carlisle, my husband, is a doctor, and our children are Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Edw- here's our car! Climb in and get settled, sweetheart. We've got a long ride. Anyway, everyone is very nice. I really think you'll like it here in…" Esme continued to talk, but I tuned her out, clutching my penguin. I rested my head against the cool window and thought. _Emmett. Jasper. Rosalie. Alice. Edw--? Where have I heard those names before?_ Before I could contemplate this any longer, though, I fell into a deep, dream-filled sleep.


	2. Alice's POV

**A.N. Hey! I just realized I forgot to introduce myself. I'm CocoaCullen, this is my first (published) fanfic, and I am not Stephenie Meyer! Hope you all liked the first chapter, and any reviews would be helpful. Thanks, and enjoy!**

Alice's POV

Alice's POV

_The door opened and Esme walked in, followed by a young teenage girl. For a human, she's amazingly beautiful, yet something about her haunts me. _

_"Baby sis!" Emmett hollered, racing down the stairs as fast as he was allowed, human speed. He wrapped her in a huge hug, but immediately stepped back. The girl is screaming and sobbing. She falls to the ground in a shaking heap._

I bolted up from the couch. Two minutes until Esme arrived with the girl. "Emmett!" I hissed. I had to find him before they got here.

Thirty seconds later I finally found Emmett pacing at the top of the steps. I heard Rosalie's car screech to a stop, followed by Edward's Volvo. We all planned on being here for the arrival. Without thinking, I slammed Emmett into the wall, leaving an Emmett-sized dent behind.

"What the-" Emmett swore. I snarled at him.

"Don't you dare. Touch the girl. If you do. I will kill you." I managed to say through clenched teeth. Emmett's face went from confusion to understanding, back to confusion, to indignation, and finally to mock innocence in about half a second.

"Aw, come on, Alice. I was just going to say hello to our new little sis. Do you have a problem with that?" He said casually. I narrowed my eyes and mumbled the vision under my breath. When I finished Emmett was a little paler than before.

"Oops." he breathed. I heard Esme's car pull up the driveway, and gave a last withering look in Emmett's direction, than raced down the stairs. I turned on the TV, grabbed a magazine, and flopped down on the couch. Two seconds later the door swung open and Esme walked in followed by the girl.

This time I got a good look at her. She was breathtakingly beautiful up close; small, thin, dirty-blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her eyes caught my attention the most. They were huge and beautiful, but seemed haunted by something unseen by the rest of us. She held herself hunched over, arms crossed tightly. Her clothes were ratty, and between her arms and her chest was a tiny stuffed penguin. In my entire life I'd only seen one person look like this before: Bella, years ago, back when Edward had left her. But this girl was much younger than Bella had been, and this seemed much, much worse.

**I know it was short, but soon they'll get longer, I promise! Once again, reviews, good or bad, are helpful! **

**CocoaCullen**


	3. Edward's POV

Edward's POV

Edward's POV

When Esme and the new girl finally arrived, Bella and I were… straightening things up in our little house. Bella's now-butterscotch eyes gleamed as she sprawled lazily across our bed. We heard the door slam, and we sprinted out the door and across the lawn.

Renesmee had decided to stay with Jacob and the rest of the pack until the new girl settled in. Nessie had grown fast for a long while, but she had begun to slow down after a couple of years. For the past few months she had looked to be a young teenager, twelve or thirteen years old.

As we slid in the back door, Esme was just leading the girl inside. She was beautiful. Not nearly as beautiful as Bella, or any other vampire, but beautiful for a human.

_I'm going to get some stuff from the car. I'll be a few minutes. _Esme thought. _Keep an eye on her. I'll do formal introductions in a minute. Just let everyone parade through there. If something starts to happen, step in. DON'T LET ANYONE TOUCH HER!!_ Esme finished. I nodded to myself, than jogged lightly down the steps. Esme shut the door behind her, and then the games began.

Emmett ran down the steps first. Alice shot a withering glance in his direction, than returned to her magazine. I could hear the girl's thoughts; _Holy smoke that guy is big. Oh, god. Why is he coming closer? No, no no no! Stop! stop! Get back!_ Beside her, I could feel her heart and breathing getting faster. Emmett's thoughts went something along the line of this: _Another human to play with! Oops, Alice is watching. Stay back a little bit. Gosh, she's small._

"Emmett," I hissed. Emmett stiffened immediately and smiled apologetically in the girl's direction.

The girl's attention had already shifted to Alice, once Emmett had backed away, though she still kept careful tabs on him. _Oh! A girl, over there. Oh my god she's beautiful._ _She looks nice. Maybe she'll be nice to me. _I smiled a tiny bit and smothered a chuckle. Alice was thinking something entirely different. _Okay, just let her settle in, and maybe I can have a new makeover subject, if she feels good enough- EDWARD, GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!_ Rosalie walked down next and stood next to Emmett. _Oh, no, another person. Oh no oh no oh no she looks like – oh god please no please no please. _I shot a glance at Rosalie. She glared at me until I jerked my head at the girl, than she nodded and stepped back. _She's so small. What is she, like, 7? She's pretty, I guess, for a human._

Jasper stayed upstairs, in the girl's room, making sure everything was ready. Bella tiptoed in, smiling shyly. _I hope she likes me._ I smiled at Bella. She had gotten a lot better at lifting her shield since the battle. The girl's eyes widened. _Why are there so many people here? Why are they surrounding me? Oh, god, what's happening? _I stood up. Time for this show to move on. I shot into the dining room faster than she could see, than walked back in slowly. The girl's heart raced, and she tried to think clearly.

_Okay. Eek! Focus, focus. Okay. One, two, three, four, five. Five. Six? Okay, stay calm, don't look at them. Easy. Easy. Oh no, oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no. How am I going to do this? Where's Esme? Why isn't she back yet? Focus, Focus. Stop. Stopstopstopstop STOP! _Everything was quiet. I couldn't pick up her mind at all. How did she do that?

Before I could wonder about this new development, Esme walked back in carrying a stack of papers. She set them down on the dining room table, than walked over to stand next to the girl.

"Time to meet the family!" Esme exclaimed brightly, and this time I could barely stop myself from laughing out loud.


	4. Jasper's POV

**To Everyone that's already reviewed: Thanks so much! This chapter is a long one! I might put the next one up tonight, but then that's all I have written. I'll get to work on the next chapter though! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**CocoaCullen**

Jasper's POV

Jasper's POV

When Esme arrived with my new little sister, I was upstairs putting the final touches on her new room. Two of the walls had been painted lavender, the other two mint green. Emmett had done the paining, adding random splashes of color along the walls for no apparent reason. The result looked pretty cool, though.

One Wall had a huge loft bed, and underneath were a built in desk, a huge CD stand, and reading area. (Courtesy of Edward and Esme, respectively). Along the next wall was the door to a huge closet, filled with clothes a la Alice, and the door to the bathroom. The third wall was occupied by a huge window overlooking the backyard and forest. The last wall had a dresser, mirror, and other girly stuff, bought by Rosalie, and Bella had made a curtained-off area with a couch, TV, and some movies.

My contribution was to set up all the stuff that everyone had bought. Do you know how much stuff these people can buy? Believe me, it's a lot. As I finished setting up the basic software for the laptop, I heard the door creak open. Instantly I was at the top of the steps, than I slowly began to walk down.

I could feel the fear from two stories up, before I even started downstairs. As I heard Esme talking and the others shifting around, the fear only increased. By the time I had reached the main floor, I was terrified myself. Disgusted, I calmed myself and turned to the girl. She was beautiful, but looked a lot younger than the rest of us.

"Cathy, honey, will you go into the living room? We'll make our introductions in there." Esme said to the girl. The girl- Cathy walked numbly into the living room. When she was out of normal hearing range Esme breathed, "Listen; she's about 13 years old, supposedly, and she doesn't talk or let anyone touch her. She's a very scared little girl. I don't know why, but everyone just be calm and let her get used to us. Emmett," she warned, shooting daggers at the beforementioned brother. Emmett put his hands up in surrender.

"Don't call her Cathy. I don't think she likes it," Edward added quickly.

"Fine. All right, let's go!" Esme said brightly. We all followed her into the living room and sat. Cathy was curled up in the corner furthest away from the entrance, obviously pretending she hadn't heard us. I tiptoed over and squatted a few feet in front of her.

"Catherine?" I said softly. Her head jerked up and she clutched something tightly against her. My heart broke for this innocent girl, who looked so scared for some unknown reason.

"Catherine?" I asked again. She froze, than glanced at me quickly. "My name is Jasper. I'm one of your new brothers." She gave me another look, this one containing a hint of surprise. Edward chuckled and whispered, "She thinks your too good looking to be real." I held back a grin.

"I'll let the others introduce themselves." She looked down again, and only looked up when the others introduced themselves. As we all finished, the fear had returned, and she was glancing nervously at all of us. Esme moved to stand beside her.

"Catherine? Would you like to see your new room?" Catherine's eyes flicked toward Esme, and she nodded. Two seconds later her eyes continued to dart around the room. "Would you like me to show you?" Esme persisted. Catherine shook her head quickly and turned her head toward me, dark blue eyes pleading. I stood up.

"I'll show her, Es-_Mom._" I said, before saying, " Come on, Catherine, follow me." Catherine shuffled behind me up the steps as I led her into her room. As we walked in, I felt her stiffen behind me. I whirled around to see her staring, rigid at the huge window. Mentally I smacked myself. People besides Edward have used windows to sneak in.

"Catherine. It's the window, isn't it?" I said. Without looking away, she nodded. "Tomorrow Carli-_Dad_ and I will board it up for you. I'm sorry. I didn't think. Will you be okay?" She nodded again. "Okay. My room is two doors down if you need me." She nodded a third time, and I tiptoed out, closing the door behind me. I hadn't gotten more than three feet when the fear and hysteria overwhelmed me, and I sank to my knees.


	5. Catherine's POV 2

**A.N.: **

**Happy- Countdown to Breaking Dawn week! I just want to say thanks to all the people that have read this so far, and would like to mention a couple of things. I _should_ have the next chapter up today, and I've realized that what is long on my computer is short here, so I will attempt to make longer chapters. Also, I've had about 80 hits on this story and still only have 6 reviews. If I know people like this, I'll try and get chapters out faster. Finally, there won't be an update this weekend, because I'll be out of town. I'll be thinking of you all, though! (and reading Breaking Dawn.) Okay, here's the chapter!**

Catherine's POV

Catherine's POV

The boy left, and immediately I sank to the ground. He had told me his name, but it didn't matter right now. The window had been all it took. Months of building a carefully constructed wall were wasted as the memories flooded my brain.

_Another window, in another place, shattered. My family, gone. Screams. Begging. Gunshots. Flames, everywhere. Her penguin, her blanket, his action figure, his watch, her locket. Please, don't, Please. No! Piercing screams. Blackness._

"Catherine!" An angel's voice said urgently, jolting me out of the memories. Everything was still black, and the screaming continued. I liked that better. The window was gone. Everything was gone. It was easier this way. The screaming continued, and the world remained black.

"Catherine! Look at me!" The angel ordered, frantic. I obeyed, and golden-brown eyes filled with worry stared back at me. "Don't look away. Follow me." The boy-_Jasper_- ordered. I followed him, not daring to look away.

"Sit." I sat down on a couch. "Close your eyes." They shut, almost before he said to.

"Jasper! Let us in!" Two female voices called. One of them sounded like- No. I wouldn't think of her. Still, her face appeared unbidden in my head, laughing at me. This sent me into another level of hysterics. I heard Jasper hesitate.

"Just one of you," he called finally. About two seconds later, the door opened, and someone walked in

"I don't know what happened. One second she was fine, just scared, the next she's freaking out!" Jasper murmured.

"It's okay, Jazzy. Don't worry. Now go downstairs before you hyperventilate," A female voice said soothingly. Than there was the sound of a curtain being closed and the movement of the couch as someone sat down next to me.

"Catherine. I want you to do exactly what I say, okay?" I nodded through my tears. "Look at me." I opened my eyes. It was one of the girls from downstairs- Allie? Alex?

"Catherine, it's Alice. I want you to take deep breaths. But don't look away from me. Deep breaths. Stop thinking. Just look at me and take deep breaths. Don't move a muscle. You'll be ok." _Alice. That's her name._ I thought. Than I tried to take deep breaths, but I couldn't. Alice's face looked scared.

"Catherine. Calm down. Jasper," She said softly. Slowly, as I tried to take deep breaths again, I felt my fear dissolving away. I opened my eyes, realizing that somewhere along the line they had shut again. Alice's golden eyes stared back at me, the worry still there. I gave her a weak, tiny, microscopic smile, and she grinned back at me, worry fading into relief. "Thank you." She whispered to herself.

I mimed writing, and Alice understood instantly. "Give me two seconds," she said, and stood up. She was gone and back in a flash with a pencil and notepad. "Here you go!" Alice said brightly. I took the paper and pencil with trembling hands.

Thanks. Sorry. I wrote, painfully slow. As Alice reached for the paper, panic overwhelmed me. I went to grab the pad back, but Alice snatched it before I could blink. She scanned the paper and her cheer faded.

"Catherine, you have nothing to be sorry about, and nothing to be thanking us for. We should have thought about the window. We were completely and totally idiots. Is there anything else we can fix?" I felt her gaze on me. I closed my eyes and forced myself to take deep breaths again. Finally, I jerked my head a tiny bit toward the door. Alice understood instantly once again.

"Oh, duh. The door. Why didn't I think of that?" She muttered to herself. To me she said, "Will it be okay, just for tonight, if you just lock the door? No one will come in, and tomorrow Dad and I will fix it for you, ok?" She asked softly. My fear slowly began creeping in, but I forced it back. Alice's face suddenly became blank.

"Of course," she breathed. She came to life again and said, "How about a code?" Immediately I nodded. Slowly I got up and walked to the door. It seemed five miles away, but I made it, careful not to look at the window. I knocked five quick knocks, than raced back into the curtains. Alice was nodding.

"I'll tell everyone that. I'm going to leave now. Is that ok?" She asked. I nodded. "The bathroom is next to the closet. I'll bring dinner up when it's ready." She started to leave, than stopped and turned back. Her eyes seemed black, like Esme's had been. "Something has hurt you. I wish…" she trailed off. I nodded sadly and gestured for the paper. Alice passed it to me, and I underlined Sorry and wrote can't. As I started to pass the paper back to Alice, the panic returned and I began to draw my hand back. Before I could blink the paper was in Alice's hand again and she scanned it once more. As she read, her expression softened.

"I know, Catherine, I know. I'm sorry too." She said quietly, as she walked out.

After Alice left I explored the room a little bit, careful not to glance in the direction of the window. I appreciated everything they had done, but the room was way too big. The closet seemed perfect though.

As I cleared some room in the closet, my eyes rested on my backpack, and a memory came back into focus. This one didn't hurt, though. It was soft, and gentle. I snatched my backpack and dug for my notebook, than flipped open to one of the pages. I added a few lines to one half-filled page, than a scribbled a few more on a blank page. Than, closing the notebook, I allowed the waves of sadness and pain that had lapped at me before to wash over me, pulling me under. I curled up in the corner, and cried myself to sleep.

**Okay, one more thing: I have a poll! I have another story going with a couple chapters ready to go. If you want that to be put up, let me know in my poll. I'll have the next chapter up ASAP. Hope you enjoy!**

CocoaCullen


	6. First Night

**This is the first chapter I've done with multiple POVs, so I hope you like it!! I enjoy reviews as well. Oh, yeah, I am Stephenie Meyer now! I bought all her rights off Ebay!! (Yeah right.) Okay, now that we've established that I'm not Stephenie, here's the chapter!**

Emmett's POV

As it turns out, anyone can cook. At least, that's what I've been told by a very tasty looking computer generated rat.

As I shook some spices onto the pasta, tried to keep the TV in view so I could know what to do next, and attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation upstairs, Rosalie snuck up behind me and kissed my neck

"You know, you're a pretty good cook. When'd you learn how to cook?" She murmured between kisses. I shook her off.

"Cooking for Bella when you guys were off hunting." I said distractedly as I shook some garlic powder onto the bread. Rosalie shook her head.

"Fine. Go cook. I'll go see how Alice is doing." She stormed off and almost ran into Alice.

"She's asleep," Alice said. She whipped something out from behind her back. "She wrote something in this. I grabbed it as she fell asleep."

"Wait; she's dreaming." Edward hissed. We all fell silent. "There's not much to see. It's all dark, with swirls of color. Someone's saying something." He listened for a few moments. The room was perfectly still. "It's- It's song lyrics!" He whispered in awe. "They're beautiful."

"That's what's in here!" Alice said, a little bit of her perkier self returning to the conversation. She flipped open the page and began to read.

_I see your face, your eyes, your smile  
__I hear your voice, your laugh once in a while  
__I've been looking for a sign  
__I need to know the reason why  
__I need you as my guide  
__I miss you.  
__I miss you  
__I miss the way I was close to you  
__I miss the way he talked of you  
__I miss the little things you'd do  
__I miss you_

Alice flipped a page.

_Little girl  
__Don't you cry  
__You're an a-a-angel in disguise  
__Mommy loves you  
__From high above  
__Daddy loves you  
__You're his little dove  
__Little girl  
__Here's your lullaby  
__I miss the way  
__Your face lit up my sky  
__I miss the way you were  
__The apple of my eye  
__Little girl, don't you cry._

By the time Alice had finished reading, Bella and Esme were sobbing silently, and Rosalie was clinging to me. I held her close, and we all stood there silently for a few moments.

Then the fire alarm went off.

I ran to salvage the burning chicken, Alice ran to put back the notebook, Edward ran to his piano, Carlisle ran to his study, Esme ran to the computer, Jasper ran around sending waves of calmness and happiness all over the place, and Rosalie and Bella ran outside to hunt. I dumped the chicken in the sink and quickly restarted. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, I snuck a quick taste of the chicken. I shuddered. I still couldn't see how humans liked that stuff.

After Alice brought Catherine's dinner upstairs, I set to work washing all the dishes. As I washed, Rosalie dried.

"How could someone as little as Cathy be so hurt?" I said angrily. "It's not fair to her. She's just a little human. She doesn't deserve to be afraid of everything." The dish I was washing snapped in my hands. I threw the pieces in the garbage and grabbed a pot.

"I don't know, Em. She does seem kind of small for a teenager. Then again, I don't know what the standards are now. Carlisle?" She called. "How tall is the average person now?" I ignored her and continued ranting.

"I mean, really. She won't let any one of us touch her, she almost gave Jasper a heart attack with all that fear- heck, she almost gave us a heart attack with all that fear, thanks to him. And she won't even tell us why she's scared!" Another dish shattered in my hands. I snarled and chucked it into the garbage.

"Em, she should be scared. We're-"she lowered her voice. "Vampires. She has a good reason to be wary." I slammed my fist into the counter, making a huge piece to fall out.

"That's the part that gets me. She doesn't even _know_ we're- well, you know- and she's _still_ freaked!" Another dish disintegrated in my hands, and I heard a low chuckle behind me. I spun around and grabbed Jasper by the shirt collar.

"You think this is funny?" I snarled. He put his hands up, still chuckling.

"Sorry, Emmett. The anger's all yours. I just thought it was kind of funny." I felt my anger dissolving away, and I dropped him quickly.

"Sorry, Jasper. I'm just kind of…" I trailed off. He nodded.

"I know. Don't worry about it." he said as he took my place beside Rosalie. "I'll finish the dishes." I grinned and headed upstairs to Catherine's room.

After about twenty minutes of standing outside her door, trying to get up the nerve to enter my room, Edward passed me and chuckled at all the panicked thoughts that were racing through my brain. I stared at the note Alice had left on the door. _She's in the closet. Knock five times before opening the door. _I took a deep breath, knocked five quick times, and opened the door.

Rosalie's POV

After finishing with the dishes, I walked upstairs and sat down outside Catherine's room. The rest of the family slowly gathered on the third floor to talk almost silently to one another. Most of us tuned out Emmett, but I focused in on him. He walked over to the closet door and sat down.

"Catherine? It's Emmett. Knock twice if you're awake." I could picture her curled up in the corner furthest away from the door, unwinding only to knock twice quickly. Downstairs I heard Edward playing quietly on his piano, Catherine's lyrics burned into his mind. I heard two knocks inside Catherine's door, and quickly tuned back in.

"You didn't really meet me, but I just thought I'd give you a little insight on our family. Dad's a doctor, and he's pretty easy-going, unless you're a trouble-maker, like me." I could hear the grin in his voice. "Mom is really great. She'll do anything to make sure we're safe and happy. Rosalie is my- _best friend,_ and we do almost everything together. She can be kind of obsessed with looks, but she knows about all that beauty stuff. Alice can be really perky, but she's great. She always knows what you're going to need, and be ready. She knows all about fashion. Between her and Rose, you're set." I smiled and giggled softly. Alice was currently searching the web for information on mutism. She was far from her perky self right now, her eyes sad as she scanned the information. She heard Emmett and shot a sad smile in my direction, than turned her gaze back to the screen.

"Jasper, he's the dude you go to when you feel really screwed up. You can be ready to scream at everyone, but a few minutes with him makes things feel okay again." Emmett said softly. Jasper's small smile made us all smile too. He was talking softly with Bella, trying to calm her fears. Bella had mastered her control amazingly quickly, which still upset Jasper, but she still got nervous around people.

"Edward is really proper. He can be kind of stiff, but can listen really well. He's an excellent musician, and he always knows what you're thinking. Watch out when Rosalie and he fight, though. They don't get along real well." I chuckled at that.

"Bella is the newest member of the family. She's really nice, but kind of shy. She's clumsy, though, so look out. She's also really good at pranks and baseball." Bella laughed out loud at Emmett's description.

"Renesmee was our littlest sister until you came along. She's a little... different, but in a good way. She's... you'll have to meet her yourself to know what I'm talking about, because I can't think of good enough words to describe her. I never was one for those big words." I could hear the grin in his voice as he shook his head, his curly hair bouncing wildly.

"Me? Well, I'm big, funny, strong. I care about you already, even though I hardly know you. It just makes me so _angry_ that someone could hurt you like they have! Why can't you just tell us?" I could picture him shaking, and the small squeak of fear I heard coming from the closet stopped me cold. Emmett stopped too.

" Catherine, I'm so so sorry about that. That was way out of line. You'll notice that we all get emotional sometimes. I'm truly sorry about that. I have a little bit of a temper sometimes. We all really care about each other. You'll see that." His voice was calm again, smooth. Pleading. "I'm not saying any of this to scare you. I want you to know that we won't ever let anyone hurt you again." He stopped. He sat there for a few more minutes.

After a while, we heard a small gasp come from Emmett, and he quickly darted out of the room. He showed us a piece of paper proudly.

Thanks Emet.I smiled at the misspelled name, but Emmett didn't care. He had gotten a response from her, and that was all that mattered.

Alice's POV

A little while after Emmett returned from his chat, Carlisle gathered us all in the dining room.

"She's quite obviously malnourished, from how skinny and small she is," he began. "She can't speak, but I believe that it isn't a condition she was born with. It's something called traumatic mutism. She can't speak because of something traumatizing that happened to her.

"She's also afraid of people, especially men. Boys," he warned, turning toward Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. "You'll have to be especially careful around her." Emmett flinched. We had all heard his little tirade that nearly scared her to death. **(No pun intended!)**

"Finally, she's afraid of people touching her. There's a specific name for that, but I'm afraid I don't remember it. I'll look it up tomorrow morning at the office. So," he said, tone changing. "New house rules: speak quietly, absolutely no fighting, leave lots of notepads lying around the house so she can communicate, don't be impatient with her, and above all, don't touch her. That could put us back to square one." He glanced around at each of us, before heading back into his study.

I glanced around. Edward and Bella were at the piano composing together, Rosalie was on the internet with Emmett, and Esme and Carlisle were going through medical records together. Jasper and I turned toward each other, and as one, we went upstairs to Catherine's room. We knocked five times, and sat down outside the closet door.

"Catherine? It's Jasper and Alice. Knock twice if you're awake." Jasper said quietly to the door. We heard two loud _thumps_ from the other side of the door, and we grinned at each other.

"Catherine? This is Alice. We just wanted to check in on you. You're going to fit in just fine here, I promise. I can totally see us hanging out, shopping, doing our nails, that kind of stuff. If you want I can give you a makeover sometime. Bella sometimes lets me, but still." I realized I was babbling, so I got up and left. As I left, I heard Jasper talking softly.

"-understand how you feel. You're scared, and you're lonely, and you think that no one here is going to like you, and you think Alice seems really nice- don't worry, she is- and you miss your old life. I know. I've been through all that too. I'm just saying if you ever just need someone to let off some steam at, I'm your guy." I smiled as I heard him say that. "And Emmett will be your teddy bear. That's how Bella always describes him. I'm going now, okay?" As Jasper walked out and bumped into me, I kissed him on the cheek.

"I always liked the sensitive guy." I giggled. He chuckled, and all my sadness went away. We sat in silence outside her door until she fell asleep, then retreated downstairs once more.

Rosalie's POV

I tiptoed into Catherine's room, pausing only to knock five times once I was inside. I sat down by the door and said softly, "It's Rosalie. Knock twice if you're awake." Nothing. I sat there for a few more moments, then, so quietly, I could have imagined it, I heard a voice say, "Mama?"

"Catherine?" I asked quietly.

"Mama? Is that you?" Catherine said. I opened the door noiselessly. She was sitting up and her eyes were open, but her gaze was fixated past me. She was asleep.

"Yes, baby girl?" I asked, wishing once again that I could be this girl's real mother.

"I miss you, Mama. Nothing's the same without you." Catherine said.

"I know, sweetheart, but you've gotta keep trying. It'll work out. I promise."

"This family might be okay, Mama, but I want my family back." She began to cry. "I miss Robby and Teddy and Annie and-" She dissolved into tears. I was sobbing tearlessly too.

"I know, darling. I miss them too. You'll find them though. This family will help you. And maybe, they'll help you find yourself." I said, my voice breaking. "I have to go now, baby."

"I love you, Mama." Catherine said, before she fell back down, her eyes closing and curling up under the blanket."

"I love you too, Catherine." I whispered. "You're gonna be okay."

**Just to let you know, Catherine wasn't awake there. She was talking in her sleep just like another person we all know (and write fanfiction about.) Tomorrow morning, she still won't be able to talk. I've decided I will continue working on this, and I _think_ that I've fixed everything that needs to be fixed so far, so I will get to work on the next chapter! Thanks for all the feedback. Now, how about you go look at Beadwork?? (Hugs from Edward if you do!)**

**CocoaCullen**


	7. Morning: Catherine's POV

**Sorry it took so long for this chapter. This takes place the next morning. I hope I get some reviews on this, 'cause I was wracking my brain all day yesterday and last night to get this out for you guys! Enough blabbering, enjoy!**

Catherine's POV

The next morning I woke up feeling strangely happy. I had taken a baby step forward: I had written a note to Emmett. I had listened to all the people who had sat outside my door last night, but I only managed to write something to Emmett. It wasn't a big step, but it was progress.

Alice seemed nice enough. She seemed a little… _exuberant_, but I think she meant well. I _had_ noticed, though, when she stole my notebook, even though she _had_ returned it. I figured that before she brought it back, she showed it to everyone else.

I liked Emmett. He scared me a little, but when I couldn't see him and he didn't sound angry, it was okay. He was just so _big_! I liked how he had described the rest of his family. I couldn't yet bring myself to call them _my_ family.

Jasper I liked the most so far. He seemed to know exactly what I was feeling. He seemed like he _understood._I had a feeling that he had been through a lot in his life, just like me.

Late last night, I dreamt of Mama. For once, though, when I thought of her, I wasn't sad. She told me everything was going to be okay, and I believed her.

Grabbing my notebook and Tux, my stuffed penguin, I slowly opened the door… and nearly had a heart attack! Alice was lounging up on the huge bed staring down at me. I jumped back into the closet and hit my head on one of the wooden shelves. Alice froze, and before I could move Carlisle was standing in the doorway, worry written all over his beautiful face.

"Are you all right? I heard something fall. Did you cut yourself?" Carlisle asked. He seemed flustered. I reached up slowly and felt the back of my head. It was tender, and I flinched. I was going to have a bruise there later. I felt again, but didn't feel any blood. I shook my head, hoping they'd get the message, and both their faces relaxed back into smiles.

Alice swung lightly over the side of the bed and danced over to me. "You made me forget what I was supposed to tell you," she said with a pout. I didn't even blink. Pouts didn't work on me anymore. Not since- the memory ruined my poker face and crumpled. Alice frowned and checked my expression. When my face returned to normal she smiled again.

"Oh, yeah! In five minutes everyone is going to stop talking and we're all going to use notepads to communicate but otherwise you can explore and Dad and Jasper will fix your window and the rest of us are just hanging around home today, okay?" She said in a rush. I blinked in astonishment. She took that for a response and yelled, "Okay good, ready, GO!" I blinked again and shook my head. Alice's grin got bigger.

**(Okay, from here on out, Bold underline is whoever Catherine is talking to, and Bold Italic is Catherine.)**

Five minutes later, I tiptoed out of the closet wearing the only other outfit I had. Alice was still on the bed, holding a notepad. She held it out to me and I took it.

**Hi! **I bit back a smile.

_**Hi**_

**Are you okay? I think you hit your head pretty hard. Just tell me if I'm talking too much or something. People tell me I talk a lot.**

_**I'm ok. It's ok.**_

**Oh, good. What's with the penguin? You don't have to tell me if you want. Oh, are you hungry? We all ate breakfast already, but I can bring you down to the kitchen and I'm sure somebody will make you something. I'm a lousy cook though.**

_**Am hungry.**_

**Okay, let's go!** Alice led the way down to the kitchen. I noticed a lot of things that I was to preoccupied to notice last night.

Everything seemed white. The walls were white, the floors were wooden, and the south wall was all windows. I shuddered, but followed Alice down two flights of steps to the first floor.

Esme and Jasper were in the kitchen. Jasper was putting a dish into the dishwasher, and Esme was setting a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Her-" Esme slapped a hand over her mouth and grabbed a notepad from the counter.

**Sorry dear. I forgot. There's all sorts of food left over from breakfast. You slept quite late, so everyone else is already finished. **I nodded and drifted over to the table. Jasper sat down next to me with yet another pad of paper.

**Do you mind if I sit here with you?**

_**No, it's ok.**_

**I don't mean to intrude, but does your penguin have a name?**

_**Tux**_

**Can I see him? **I hesitated, than slowly handed Tux to Jasper. He held Tux gently, turning him around. While he was looking, I stared at Jasper in sudden shock. He had little curved scars all over his hands and face! He saw me looking at him, and I dropped my gaze and looked away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile.

**It's ok. I get that reaction a lot. Tux smells good. Like lilac perfume, and orangey-shampoo. It smells a bit like alcohol too. Can you tell me why? **I shook my head quickly and reached for Tux. This boy was starting to get too close to the real story. With a small sigh, Jasper handed Tux back to me.

**That's ok. I'm going upstairs now. Is that ok with you?** I nodded. **Me and Dad are going to fix your window. I'll talk to you later.** He rose fluidly while I looked back to the mountain of food in front of me. I ate until I was stuffed, than pushed in my chair and set the plate in the dishwasher.

I tiptoed out of the kitchen and into the large living room. I looked around quickly. Large spaces scared me. I once heard of something called claustrophobia. I had the opposite of it, I think. I darted under the huge curving staircase and sat down to think.

A boy I hadn't met before walked down the staircase and into the back of the room, where I saw the most beautiful piano I've seen in my life. He sat down and began to play.

The music started off nearly silent, but the few notes I could catch were soft and sweet. The music was hesitant, but it became louder and dropped back down. The music was beautifully sweet, yet simple enough that I could make out the melody.

I slowly stood up, and the music crashed to a halt. The boy slammed his hands on the piano, and I shrank back. He glanced around the room, and when he saw me cowered in the corner, his face changed. He wrote in big letters **SORRY.** I straightened up out of my crouch and walked closer to him, still staying under the steps. **MY NAME IS EDWARD. I DIDN'T MEAN TO SCARE YOU. DO YOU PLAY?** I shook my head. He motioned me closer. I walked out into the open and sat down in a rush. He sat down as far away from me as he could on the bench and began to play again. He got as far as he had before, when the notes started to sound wrong. He stopped playing again, but didn't bang the keys this time.

**You inspired this one, Catherine. I write songs for everyone in my family. I just don't have it right yet.** I tried not to blush, but I felt a little color flood my cheeks. He laughed a little at that, and I wondered what was so funny.

**I'm sorry about Alice stealing your notebook. She just wanted to know what was inside. Alice can get a little **_**overexcited,**_** shall we say? The lyrics were amazing, though. Do you mind if I**- I hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached for my notebook. He took it gently and flipped to a page. He reached for the other notepad and scribbled down the lyrics in his impossibly neat handwriting.

**You can have this back. I'll try to write something for this, for you. Give me a couple of days, ok?**

_**ok. thanks.**_

**No problem. It's what families do for each other**. Edward seemed sure of what he was saying, but I was confused.

_**?**_ Edward's brow furrowed.

**What do you mean? Families do things for each other. At least, the good ones do. **He gritted his teeth, and he began writing furiously.

**Catherine, families do things for each other because that's what families **_**do.**_** Families are nice to each other mostly. Sure they have little fights, but everyone is treated equally and everyone dos things for each other. Wasn't your family like that?** I froze. I remembered my real family. They were nice. But the others- well, could that be considered nice? My hands started to shake.

_**1: Yes**_

_**Others: no. **_

A low growl escaped from Edward's locked teeth, and I bolted from the chair. He didn't even notice as I cowered back under the stairs.

"Esme!" He yelled, his smooth voice rough with anger. Esme was almost instantly in the room, darting down the stairs. "She- She said-wrote, -thought- look!" Edward snarled. The others were running down the stairs and I bolted. I sprinted out from underneath the stairs, tears running down my face, dodging the people coming down the stairs. I darted down the hall and into the first door I saw. I leaned against the door, eyes closed, shaking all over.

I heard an almost silent noise and jerked my head up. Sitting on the bed were Emmett and Rosalie. They were both holding a few cards. Emmett's face crumpled and he threw his cards down.

"Edward." he hissed, and I nodded through my tears. "I'll kill him." He snarled, and I bit back a scream.

"Emmett! Look at her!" Rosalie cried. Emmett looked at me for the first time, and instantly he sat back down. "Catherine, come here." She said, holding out her arms. I hesitated. She looked so much like Mama… but I couldn't. I sat down next to her.

"God, Catherine, I'm sorry." Emmett started as he sat on the other side of me. "I lost my temper. Edward shouldn't do things like that. We could hear him all the way up here. Do you want me to go talk to him? I'll take him outside so you can't hear us." He said. I think I nodded. All I knew was that he disappeared. I sat next to Rosalie, shaking.

"He didn't mean it, Cath. He just got upset and lost his temper. Are you okay?" I leaned closer to her and slowly set my head on her shoulder. Rosalie stiffened, than very slowly relaxed when she saw I was okay. We sat for a moment longer, my tears fading a little.

"If you want, I'll make sure he doesn't come by you again for a while, okay? Emmett's going to talk some sense into him. He's really a great guy. Everyone loses their temper sometimes, right?" She sounded like she was reassuring herself more than me. I looked at her doubtfully.

"It'll be okay." she said again. "Do you want to watch TV in your room? We could put in a movie or listen to music or something. I'll even keep out Alice so she doesn't try to give you a makeover." she teased. I nodded and tried to smile. I think I didn't do too well, but Rosalie seemed to get the message.

"Come on," she said, opening the door and leading me noiselessly to the stairs. As we began to climb we heard the front door open. I froze. _Another person?_ I thought. Rosalie grinned.

"Go on upstairs, Cath. I'll be up in a minute." she said as she turned and walked down beside me. I scurried up to my room where Jasper and Carlisle were finishing up boarding up the window. They lifted their heads and grinned.

"Nessie's home!" Carlisle breathed. _Nessie?_ I thought. I shook my head. Maybe I didn't want to know yet. I opened the curtain into my little area, flopped down the couch, and covered my head with the pillow, blocking out the noise and activity until all there was was silence.

**Okay, another chapter done! I've got a poll up on my profile. The next chapter will be Bella's POV, but do you want me to do a Nessie POV too?  
I don't know how long it'll take to get the next chapter out. School starts next week, so I'll be busy, but I'll try to keep working for you! Hope you enjoyed, and if you did, review!**

**CocoaCullen**


	8. Bella's POV

**Gahh! Sorry about the long disappearance!! School's started, and with that means everything else has started! So here's the deal: At best, I'll be able to update twice a week, before and right after the weekend. Enough blabbering for now. Here's the chapter!**

Bella's POV

The door creaked open, and instantly my baby was in my arms. Nessie hugged me tight, and behind her, I saw Jacob creep in. He leaned in the doorway smiling faintly, his thoughts obviously a million miles away. Officially, Renesmee had spent the weekend at Emily's helping Kim get ready for her wedding, but all of us knew that most of her time was spent with 'her Jacob'.

Renesmee broke through my reverie by wrapping her arms around my neck, allowing the images to wash through my mind. She showed me Kim in her dress, her giving Claire a makeover; Claire was almost nine now. _Nine!_ Had time really passed that quickly?

Nessie, sensing my lapse in attention, pressed her hand harder to my cheek, and this time all I saw was Jacob. Jacob talking to her, running with her, _Jacob._ Jacob, the air she breathed, her own personal sun.

I gently pried her hand off my face. She smiled unabashedly until she saw the looks on the faces around me. She started to lift her hand back to my face, but I shook my head. She sighed, annoyed at the fact that she couldn't use her gift.

"Where's the girl and what's wrong?" she asked impatiently. I exhaled slowly, than took another breath.

"Go find out for yourself, but" I caught her as she started to go around me. "but first, let's hear the story one more time." Renesmee rolled her eyes at me, but obliged.

"I'm Vanessa, Daddy- _Edward _- is my big brother. You, Uncle Emmett, and Auntie Alice are brother and sisters." She caught the look on my face and quickly added, "I mean Emmett and Alice. Anyway, Unc- _Jasper_ and Rosie are twins." She sang in a lilting soprano voice. "Can I go now?"

"Go," I giggle. She spun around me like a ballerina and darted gracefully up the stairs. I stared after her.

She looked older now, twelve or thirteen years old. Her red-brown curls floated all the way down her back. She seemed to look different every day. She was so intelligent, having read nearly as many books as me. She had learned every day from at least one of us. We all tutored her in different things, and she loved it. I thought fleetingly of regular human children. She was six years old. Six years old, and she looked almost as old as us. Well, our physical age.

She glanced back at Jacob, and he grinned. Things had started to change between them. I remembered the images I had seen and thought of when it was like that for me. I finally realized looked at things through Jacob's point of view, and I understood. I couldn't help wondering if he was thinking of the times before too. The fuzzy memories downed my mood, but it was okay.

While Ness flew up the stairs, Emmett stormed down them noiselessly and pulled up short in front of Edward. I winced. This wasn't going to be good.

"You, outside, NOW." Emmett snarled. Edward walked outside without a word. Alice and I followed silently.

Once we were outside, a safe distance from the house, I threw my shield. It covered the area, and Emmett crouched. I knew I would regret this later, but right now I was furious. Emmett attacked.

The fight was short. Without his gift, Edward was sorely out of his league. Emmett had him pinned in less than a minute. It was then that the words began.

"Do you have any idea how bad you scared her? If I catch you breathing on her again today I'll kill you. I'll-" he growled, and we all looked to Edward. Edward looked livid, but in half a second his jaw relaxed and he grew visibly paler. I relaxed the shield a tiny bit, and he flinched at Emmett's thoughts.

I stepped up and yanked Edward up. "You are in trouble." I said, pronouncing each word clearly. "Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what's in store when I catch you." I lifted my shield for a fraction of a second. Alice winced.

Edward read both of our thoughts quickly. His eyes widened and, if possible, he grew even paler. Before I could open my mouth again, he was gone, running. I waited a full five seconds before putting a finger to my lips.

'Block your mind', I mouthed to Alice and Emmett. They nodded and Alice stifled a giggle. I smiled wickedly and, with a glance in the direction Edward had gone, wheeled off in the opposite direction. I sprinted through the forest to our meadow, laughing all the way.

**Okay, I have another poll up for this story to see whose POV you want after Nessie's. I'll be posting up the next chapter for my other story Beadwork within the hour. Review, and send SM a note about your sadness of Midnight Sun being cancelled. (:( )**

**CocoaCullen**

Sneak Peek:

I knocked five times like the note said to, than opened the door. It was quiet. The girl was laying on the couch with a pillow pressed to her face, unconscious.


	9. Renesmee's POV

**Hey people, sorry about the wait for this! I should be able to update once a week from now on. I am looking for someone to Beta for me, so if anyone is interested, PM me please. I might be able to put a chapter up for my other story Beadwork this weekend, so go look at that too! Enough blabbering, here's the story!**

**Oh yeah: I am not Stephenie Meyer, I have never been Stephenie Meyer, I will never be Stephenie Meyer. Get it?**

Renesmee's POV

I danced up the stairs humming Daddy's tune for me. I stepped into my makeshift room, which had been an oversized closet before. It was small and cozy, no windows, just room for a bed and dresser. I slammed the door, counted slowly to fifty, and opened the door again.

I had a new outfit on, created by Alice and laid on my bed this morning for me. It was a cute jean miniskirt with a purple halter top. My hair was swept up in a huge bun, just the way Rosalie had taught me. I checked myself in the mirror on the door, smiled, and shut the door behind me.

Carlisle and Jasper had taken a break to hunt before the girl got suspicious. It would seem weird if they had never taken a break. Esme was in town buying some more human food. I shuddered at the thought. I had managed to get used to human foods, but that didn't mean I had to like them.

I gazed out the window to the river. Uncle Em and Daddy were fighting. Mama looked focused. I giggled softly. She was blocking Emmett from Daddy. She must have been really mad about something.

I walked slowly through the hallway, careful to make my footsteps sound heavy. I stopped in front of the door: **Knock five times before entering! OR ELSE!! **Was written in Aunt Rosalie's neat flowing handwriting. I took a deep breath and glanced around, making sure no one else was watching me. Mama and Daddy and Esme and Carlisle and the rest of them never got tired of watching me, but I got tired of them watching me!

Jacob was still downstairs, gazing up at me. I smiled, and he grinned back faintly. I laughed lightly, and he shook his head and chuckled. I couldn't help thinking of all the fun we'd had this weekend, but lately he'd seemed so distant. Something was changing between us, but I couldn't place my finger on exactly _what_.

I turned my attention to the door. I knocked five times like the note said, than opened the door. It was quiet. Too quiet. I glanced around quickly. I didn't hear a breath. I smelt her blood, but her heartbeat was slow. Too slow. I opened the curtains surrounding the TV and nearly screamed. The girl was lying on the couch with a pillow pressed to her face, unconscious.

I ran outside, Jacob hot on my heels. The part of my brain that was thinking rationally told me it might have been a good idea to stay with the girl, but I was too scared to care.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" Jacob panted, finally catching up to me. I split off from him towards Alice and Emmett. _Where was Rosalie and Mama and Daddy? Where __is __everybody?_

"Go find Carlisle!" I yelled as he sprinted into the forest. I started waving my arms in the air. "Alice! Emmett!" I screeched. They started racing towards me. I turned and led them to the house. Within a second we were all upstairs standing by the girl.

"What do we do?" Emmett asked. I shrugged. I had never been human before. He wasn't born vampire, I thought. Alice was on the phone, her voice buzzing. I couldn't make out who she was talking too, but whoever it was sounded serious. Alice hung up and was instantly on the phone with someone else. I couldn't wait any longer.

"Help me," I ordered Emmett. "Let's sit her up." He shook his head.

"We can't touch her. She won't let us. The only people she'll even let near her are Rosalie and Jasper." He moaned. "Where's Rosalie anyway?"

"I don't know!" I hissed. "I thought she was with you! She can't be in the house; she would have been here already!" I started to pace. Emmett passed me his cell phone silently and I grabbed it thankfully.

Pressing the 1st speed dial, I continued to pace. Rosalie picked up on the second ring.

"Em?"

"Rosie, it's Nessie. Something's wrong with the girl." I heard a muffled swear word in the background.

"What's wrong?" She sounded breathless.

"She's unconscious. We can't touch her though. Emmett said that maybe you can…?" I trailed off.

"I'm on my way." Rosalie's tone was short and cold. "I'll be there in half a minute, tops."

"'Kay." I flipped the phone shut and passed it to Emmett. He took it silently. The girl's chest was rising faintly. Suddenly a snippet of all my TV watching came back to me. _When something is wrong or someone is hurt, call 911._

I snatched the phone back from Emmett and immediately called 911.

"This is the Fork's police Department what is the emergency?" A man's voice came over the phone instantly.

"My sister is unconscious and we don't know what to do." Alice and Emmett were staring at me, puzzled. I heard Rosalie coming up the stairs, her feet pounding up the stairs, Jacob, Carlisle, and Jasper right behind her.

"Is she still breathing? What happened?" The man asked.

"We think her headboard collapsed on her. We got her out and onto the couch, but she won't wake up. She's breathing, but barely. Her pulse seems lower too." Rosalie was there, leaning over the girl.

"What happened?" snarled Rosalie. She glared at each of us in turn, than turned to crouch over the girl. "Catherine, Cathy, can you hear me? Come on, honey, wake up."

"If she doesn't come around within the next few minutes, get her to the ER. If she stops breathing, start doing rescue breaths and chest compressions. Does anyone at the house know CPR?" All of them nodded.

"Yes, we all know."

"Good. Do you want me to send an ambulance?" Everyone immediately shook their head at me. I rolled my eyes at them. I wasn't stupid.

"No, my dad's a doctor and he's coming up the stairs now." Carlisle was standing next to me. He waited a moment, than took the phone from me gently.

"Officer? This is Carlisle Cullen. Yes, we just brought her home the other day. Yes, I'll be giving her an examination right now. No, there's no need to send anyone over. Thank you. Yes, yes, thank you for helping out my daughter." He paused for a moment, "Thank you, sir. Goodbye." He turned away from me and leaned over Catherine.

"Rosalie, can you sit her up please?" Carlisle asked. Gently, Rosalie propped the girl up. I got a better look at her for the first time.

She was tiny. I had seen second graders larger than her. She was supposed to be thirteen? Her clothes were tattered and filthy, probably sizes too small. A long sleeve shirt that was probably red ages ago came up to her belly button, and you could see the tip of a birthmark from under the shirt. It was the middle of summer, and she was wearing capris and a long sleeve shirt?

"Jasper, can you keep up the lethargic calmness on her, please?" A wave of calm passed slowly through the room and I yawned.

"Rosalie, can you get some of her clothes off, please? I need to examine her." Alice stiffened, and her eyes glassed over.

"Jasper, get out. Nessie, you too. I don't know if you can handle this, Jazzy." Jasper got up and leaned in the doorway, ready to run if it got to be too much. I stood next to him and leaned into his scarred shoulder. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and the room relaxed a bit.

Rosalie slowly tore off the tattered shirt and pants. Rosalie gasped, and Catherine whimpered. Everyone else gasped and froze. After a solid minute, Carlisle began speaking almost inaudibly again.

"Esme, Edward, can you bring up my equipment, please? I don't think it would be wise to move her now. I'm going to need some antibiotics, the portable X ray machine, a couple IVs, maybe, and a camera. Definitely a camera. This is serious. Edward, can you get any reads?" Everyone had closed around the girl. I couldn't see anything, and hearing Carlisle's list, I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Daddy shook his head. "Nothing. It's almost like she's shielding." He shot a quick glance at Mama. "Bella, are you-" Mama shook her head.

"I'm not shielding her." She said in her perfect voice. Daddy shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, the way he always did when he was upset.

"I'll go get the stuff." Daddy said gruffly. He moved, and that sent a tiny wave of the girl's scent in my direction. My mouth started to water, and I almost fell over as Jasper disappeared from behind me.

Before I could hit the ground Jacob had me in his arms and we were running, out of the house, to the little hut I lived in with Mama and Daddy. He set me down gently on my bed and flopped down beside me.

"You okay?" He asked cautiously. My mind was racing. In the fraction of a second between when Daddy had moved and Jacob had caught me, I'd caught a glimpse of Catherine.

"Nessie, you okay?" Jacob asked again. I nodded numbly. He hugged me for a minute, and I wrapped my arms around him.

Jacob winced at the picture I had shown him. "It looks bad, doesn't it. I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'm going to be right back, okay?" I nodded a second time and he hugged me quickly again. Than he got up, the bed creaking as the weight disappeared. He smiled at me reassuringly, than jogged out the door. I lay back on my bed.

My mind was racing with everything that had happened in the past ten minutes. I shuddered as the image raced through my head again and again. I finally fell asleep as Jacob tiptoed back into my room. He pulled up the covers and sat on the bed next to me as I slipped into sleep. The last thing I saw before I sank into sleep was Catherine, laying on the couch. Her body was covered in bruises and scars, with a makeshift splint holding her right arm rigid. She looked like a tiny, broken doll someone had left in the street. Tears streamed down my face as I slept, for this poor little girl we had brought to our family.

**I have a poll up on my profile- whose POV do you want next? It will be up until sometime Monday, and then I'll be putting a new poll up to see how much more semi-fluff you want until the huge drama kicks in. Hope you liked!**

**CocoaCullen. P.S. Review please! Reviews inspire me, which makes me work faster, which gives you faster updates!!**


	10. The Dream

**Okay, this is a tiny bit of backstory on Catherine. It's a dream, and I was feeling really crummy when I started this. By the time I finished, though, I felt better, so I think I made the ending kind of funny!**

Catherine's POV

_She'd had this dream before. It wasn't a dream, really. Her dreams were always flickers of her past, the only time she ever could think of those things._

_She was standing on a playground. Kids were going on with their lives, talking and laughing and running and __being__, while she stood there, in the shade. She had been following some other girls around. The two people she called her friends had whispered something in front of her, giggled, looked at her, than ran. She chased after them for a bit, asking, "What? Come on, tell me!" She giggled too. Must be a funny joke._

_Giving up, she wandered off to follow a couple other girls. She found that sometimes, she could talk to them. It was rare that she found people she could actually talk to anymore. Most of the time her throat closed up and she couldn't say a word, no matter how hard she tried._

_After trailing the three girls for a few minutes and trying unsuccessfully to join the conversation, Catherine gave up and walked away. She spotted her two friends and jogged over to them. When they spotted her, the two screamed and ran away. She stopped and stood where they had been. _

_They weren't her friends. They never were. They hung out with her because the teachers told them to.__ All the rumors she had heard collided with her in a dizzying whirl. She filed into math class, and when one girl tried to talk to her, she could hardly speak at all._

_"Cath? Cath? Helloooooo?" A girl said. _

_"Catherine." She said automatically._

_"Yeah, sure, whatev." The girl said, waving her hand. As she walked away with her friend, she asked, "What is that chick's name anyway?" Catherine put her head down. That feeling was coming back again. The feeling where the whole world is living and you're just stuck. The feeling where you're the only one who's ever felt like they are all alone, with no one to be themselves around. The feeling where you feel like you're separated from everyone by a one way mirror. You can look at them, but they just keep looking through._

_The dream changed._

_Catherine was in the basement of the third house. Teddy and Annie were with her. Robby and Maria were gone, taken away. They could be somewhere safe. They could be in a situation like theirs. Scared, hungry, alone, hurt. At least Teddy and Annie had Catherine, and Catherine had Teddy and Annie._

'_Father' was upstairs, roaring at 'Mother'. 'Mother' was screaming back. Annie was crying softly and Robby was holding tight to Catherine's leg._

"_I won't go without you." Robby mumbled into Catherine's leg. Catherine tugged him gently away from._

"_Robby, you have to go. This isn't a choice. I'm not going to let you live like this anymore." She dug a scrap of paper out of her pocket. "Go to a phone, dial 1548-568-1177 and say that it's Robby and Catherine told you to call. Tell the person where you are, and that you've got Annie. Answer any questions they ask you."_

"_I'm scared." came the boy's muffled reply._

_"Don't be. These people are going to get you to safety. You're a big boy now, Teddy. You're almost seven. You can do it. Take Annie. Run as fast as you both can. I know you can go fast, nearly as fast as me. Tell anyone that you see that you need help. Don't tell them about me, but tell them about-" She broke off. Teddy nodded._

_"I will. Why can't you come?" He whined. Catherine groaned._

_"I can't come, Teddy!" She snapped. He flinched. "Teddy, I'm sorry. You need to take Annie and get away from here. I'll try to come, but I don't know if we can all make it." Thundering footsteps made them all freeze. Catherine relaxed. It was only 'Mother' going upstairs. She dropped her voice and spoke again, lowly, and more urgently._

_"Teddy, Annie's only four. She needs to be safe. You're only seven. You both need to get out of here before it's too late." Catherine picked up Annie, and pushed open the tiny window that was the only source of light in the basement._

_"Go, Teddy, Annie. I'll pass you your packs when you're out." Annie was shoved through first, than Teddy. Catherine passed them their packs, than froze. Thundering footsteps were headed towards the stairs. "Hurry!" Catherine hissed. She slipped through the window and took off after the two children._

_"You need to make it to the forest, past the creek! They won't find you than! Get to town! Keep each other safe! I'll find you! Go!" Catherine yelled. He could hear him swearing, than yelling for 'Mother' as he lumbered back up the stairs. She ran faster, putting every ounce of speed into her stride. She was nearly to the edge of the yard. She would have to make it past all the houses in the row to make it to the forest. She would never make it. _

_"Go!" Catherine screamed when they turned back to her. "Go! Teddy, Annie, run! Get to safety! I'll find you! I swear I'll find you soon!" She was crying now. He was catching up. She stumbled and fell. They disappeared into the forest. Tears streamed down her face. With the little strength she had left, she continued to scream. Doors slammed shut. She was all alone. The first snowflakes of winter had begun to fall. One landed softly on her cheek, and was melted by her flushed cheeks._

_"Go! Run! I'll find you! I'll come find you! I swear I'll find you someday. I love you. I love you both so much. I'll find you. I'll find you. I'll find you." Her voice gave out once and for all. By the time his thudding footsteps lunged toward her, she was still mouthing the words. 'I'll find you. I'll find you. I'll find you.' _

_She braced herself for the impact that she knew would come. She heard him flinging himself into the air…_

_The Dream changed_

_She saw Mama. Just mama. And heard a song. A haunting voice filled the air as the tears she'd been holding in all day finally fell._

_You're not alone_

_Together we stand_

_I'll be by your side you know I'll take your hand._

_When it gets cold_

_And it feels like the end_

_There's no place to go you know I won't give in_

_No I won't give in._

_She was there. She was smiling. I missed her so much. I needed her. We had needed her.She had leaved and everything had changed. Why?_

_Keep holding on_

_Cause you know I'll make it through I'll make it through_

_Just stay strong_

_Cause you know I'm here for you I'm here for you_

_There's nothing you can say_

_Nothing you can do _

_There's no other way when it comes to the truth so_

_Keep holding on _

_Cause you know I'll make it through I'll make it through._

_I could keep trying. Maybe this time things would be okay. The words sunk into my brain. I think I smiled. I reached forward to hug Mama. She was exactly how I remembered her. _

_So far away_

_I wish you were here_

_Before it's too late this could all disappear._

_Before the doors close_

_And it comes to an end_

_With you by my side I will fight and defend._

_I'll fight and defend_

"_I love you, Mama."_

"_I love you too, Baby. Things will be okay."_

_Yeah yeah yeah_

_Keep holding on…_

"Jasper would you stop listening to that emo music? My god, you're such an emo."

"I'm not an emo! Shut up Emmett!"

**Avril Lavigne, anyone? Seriously, I couldn't help doing the whole Jasper emo thing. :) Anywho, I haven't even started the promised chapter, but if I can get at least 10 review for each chapter (for this chap, and this weekends), I might be able to do two updates a week. (I've been inspired. :) ) Okay, see you this weekend!!**

**CocoaCullen**


	11. Research

**I am so so so so so so so (Edward smacks me) so so sorry about not updating! Everything was busy, but now I'm back. I'm very tired from just running 10 miles, but the chapter is done, so enjoy!**

Carlisle's POV

I couldn't stop staring at her. For once in my existence I wasn't staring aimlessly at Esme, although she was sitting next to me, leaning into my shoulder. No, instead I was looking at Catherine.

She was so _small._ In all my studying, I have come across very few cases like this. Obviously malnourished, deliberately abused, and so, so scared.

She stirred, and I caught my breath. Rosalie had laid her on Renesmee's bed. It was a tiny enclosed room, just barely big enough for a twin bed, perfect for someone afraid of large open spaces. I had pulled a folding chair up in front of the open doorway so I could observe her easily.

Catherine opened her eyes, and I sighed in relief. The girl had been drifting in and out of consciousness all afternoon. I figured that after all the trauma of the past 48 hours, I would be stressed too.

Catherine inhaled sharply, a tiny, soft breath that made everyone in the house stiffen. Jasper and Emmett were in their own separate rooms, reading. Jasper was reading philosophy; Emmett a joke book. Rosalie was giving all the cars tune-ups in the garage. Alice was online wagering huge amounts of money on some gambling site. She was signed on as 'BigMamaAl', a name Renesmee had invented in times of boredom. Edward was downstairs playing the piano, desperately trying to finish his latest composition and failing miserably. I winced at the clashing notes. Bella was up in the attic going through all our stuff. We had so much _junk _these days.

Jacob and Renesmee were playing 'Go Fish' downstairs in the living room. I sighed. It was going to be soon that things would be changing between them. What we would do then is anyone's guess.

Catherine, meanwhile, jerked her head around the room wildly. Her breath came in short gasps. She began to whimper, and I began to get nervous. Before I could say anything though, Esme whispered, "Catherine."

Catherine looked wildly at Esme.

"Catherine. It's Esme. Remember me?" Catherine flinched. Esme looked at me, and I shrugged. I reminded myself to start a journal on this case later tonight. This was something unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

"Catherine. It's Esme. It's okay. You're in Vanessa's room. Vanessa's my daughter. You haven't met her yet. It's okay. Calm down now, honey. You're okay." Doors were opening down the hallways. People were starting to come see what was happening.

"Jasper, play that music again. I think she liked it." I said softly. He disappeared back into his room for a minute, and the sounds of 'Keep Holding On' started to waft through the house again. Catherine relaxed.

Jasper walked slowly down the halls. I mouthed 'thanks' and he nodded. I stood up slowly, even for human standards, and took two cards out of my pocket. One said 'yes' and one said 'no'.

"Catherine, I'm a doctor. You know that, right?" She nodded warily. "I'm just going to ask you some questions. If you can't answer them, you don't have to, okay?" I placed the cards gently on her bed. She started, than snatched them up in the blink of an eye. I blinked. Humans weren't normally that fast.

"Okay, you ready?" I asked. With a shadow of a wicked smile on her face, she held up the 'yes' card. I took a deep breath and covered my face with my mouth so she wouldn't see my grin. "All right, here goes…"

Alice's POV

As Catherine woke up, I logged off my game with a grin on my face. I had just won seven thousand dollars of one game. I loved my gift.

We all drifted past Catherine's new room as we went downstairs. The image of the poor girl was burned into my mind, no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it. Scars up and down her body, most of her skin one big bruise. A crude splint holding a bone together. Carlisle managed to bind it so it would set right, but there are other bones broken that have already healed wrong.

Jasper fell into step next to me. I snaked my arm around his waist, pulling him closer. We walked in silence. After a few minutes, I couldn't take the awkward silence and muttered, "So, Avril Lavinge, huh?" Edward and Emmett burst out laughing, while Bella and Rosalie bit back giggles. Jake and Renesmee were sprinting up the path together, clothes wrinkled from sleep.

We all sat staring for each other for a minute or two, than Bella yelled "I like pie!" We all stared at her in shock for a minute before she muttered, "I hate awkward silences." That broke the tension and we all laughed.

"Alice, can you see anything?" Rosalie asked, turning to me. Renesmee sat in front of me, and while I answered Rosalie, I began to braid her long auburn hair.

"Nothing's come to me yet, but I can look…" I trailed off as I began to focus. I brought the horrible image back into focus, than concentrated on Catherine. A fog settled in my mind, and I caught glimpses of things related to me and entirely not important in my world. As I continued to focus on Catherine, many of the images faded away and I was left with… one thing.

"She reads your books, Bella." Bella grinned. "That's how she finds out about us." I said. A few years ago, Bella got the idea to use a pseudonym (A fake name) to tell our story. She published four books, the Twilight Saga, under the name Stephenie Meyer. They became a huge hit, and we often were attacked by raving fangirls. She was planning more, the next being 'Midnight Sun', the story of when her and Edward met, this time through Edward's point of view.

Esme flitted down the stairs, surprising us. Normally Carlisle led all the huge meetings.

"Carlisle's working with the girl." She said. "Half of us are going to stay here, while the other half goes off to search for hints. I don't really care how you split yourselves up. I just need to get moving. I'm not staying here. I need to hunt on the way.

"I'll go with Esme." Bella said, standing up and moving towards Esme. "I've been feeling thirsty. Jasper?" Jasper shook his head.

"I hunted before she got here. Besides, she doesn't make me that thirsty. She doesn't really smell like food to me." He said softly. We all looked up. Nothing from upstairs, although we heard Carlisle's squeak of surprise.

In the end, Bella, Esme, Emmett, and I went off in two separate cars, and Rosalie, Edward, Jasper, and Carlisle stayed home. Renesemee went upstairs to Catherine's room to study with Jasper.

We all taught Nessie different things. By the time she was eight months old, she was ready to learn. Carlisle taught her all she wanted to know about medicine and biology. Esme helped her with literature. Edward took care of studies of the world, while Bella worked with her on her gift. Jasper taught philosophy of all things, while Rosalie taught her different languages and that sort of thing. I helped wherever I could, getting her books and taking her out for 'field trips' once in a while.

Jacob sat on the couch, staring up at Nessie. I sat down next to him, and his gaze finally broke away from the upstairs hall.

"Sorry. I guess you'll be wanting me to go, than?" He said.

"You can stay in the cottage if you want. If the smell hurts your nose still, you can do whatever." I said. We had all gotten used to Jacob around. We all knew things were changing between them fast. It was a matter of weeks before Nessie would probably learn the truth. However, none of us had any idea what would happen then.

"Nah, I think I'll go see how Jared's doing. It's his bachelor party tonight, and I thought I'd drop in and make sure he's not backing out." With a grin on his face, Jacob jogged out the door. I followed him out the door slowly. I felt a tingling in the back of my skull. A vision was coming.

Before I could see him phase, it hit me, and I had to reach out to steady myself.

"Alice! You okay?" Bella called after a couple of seconds. I shook my head to clear away the fuzziness, and darted down the driveway, keeping to the shadows, staying away from the reddish light of the setting sun.

As I climbed into the car with Emmett, I sat back and went through the image again. I couldn't understand it. This went against everything I had ever believed about my gift.

I could 'see' Jacob.

Edward's POV

I paced up and down the hallway outside Catherine's room. For once I couldn't focus on my music. I couldn't sit still. It was almost like the girl was changing. I couldn't stop moving, just like when Bella was changed.

"Edward." Carlisle murmured to me on my fifty-second pace by him. I grunted as I continued to pace.

"Edward, come fill in for me. I need to go get a drink from the kitchen. Catherine, do you want anything?" She held up the NO card. "Catherine, have you had anything since breakfast?" NO. "Would you like some mushroom ravioli?" YES. "All right. I'll be back in five minutes or so. _Edward, keep an eye on her. She's been doing okay so far. Ask her some questions, talk to her, do whatever. If you can get anything from her, by all means tell me. _

I took Carlisle's seat in the chair, crossed and uncrossed my legs, and picked up the clipboard. Mostly it just had questions about her health. There were a lot of NOs, but on the question 'did you lie about any of the previous questions', there was a 'hesitant YES'.

I didn't feel like learning any more about her physical state. I wanted to know how this girl got here. What was her story? I figured I wouldn't get much out of her, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

Catherine stiffened as she looked at me for the first time. I winced.

"Catherine, I never truly apologized for what I did this morning. I was upset at the way you've been treated, and I lost my temper. Do you think you can forgive me?" She held up a card Alice had probably made her before she left. IDK. "Okay, let me rephrase that. Before you leave us, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not for weeks, maybe not for months, but someday, do you think you can forgive me?" She turned; the barest hint of a smile on her face. When she held up the card a second time, it said YES.

I tried to hide my grin. Carlisle had barely made it to the kitchen. I had plenty of time. "Do you care if I ask you some questions, than?" I asked. NO. "All right than. Before you came to live with us, did you live with your biological parents?"

NO

"How about the place before that one?"

NO

"Three places ago?"

YES

"So, before you lived here, you lived in one, two, three other places. In the first place, you lived with your Mom and Dad, right?"

NO

"You just lived with one parent?"

YES

"Was it your mom?"

NO

"Okay, so, you lived with your dad in your first house?"

YES

All right, I had learned pretty much nothing so far. Than inspiration struck me.

"Did you have any brothers and sisters?"

YES. This time images flooded through her mind. Kids of all different ages. I caught at least three.

"How many?" Catherine took out a dry erase board and wrote 4. This helped to sort the images. Two boys, two girls, and her.

"Two boys, two girls?" I asked.

YES. "Lucky guess." I told her. She nodded skeptically, and all my thoughts from her disappeared.

"Is there any chance at all that someday you'll be able to tell us what you've been through?"

NO. NO NO NO NO! Her heart rate shot up, and her breath started coming in gasps. I swore, and her heart rate shot up even more.

"No, no no no, Catherine, it's okay. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, I'm sorry." I stepped into the hallway, and called, "Car-Dad, come quick! Jasper, turn on that music again, hurry!" The music blared, than turned down considerably. Carlisle came thundering up the stairs very convincingly.

Rosalie burst out of the bathroom, wearing only a purple fuzzy robe, and Nessie, who would normally burst into girlish giggles, ignored her and raced down the hall, shoving past me.

"Catherine. My name is Vanessa. Look at me, please." She sounded commanding, which sounded so strange coming from my daughter. Catherine didn't move, but started to shake. "Catherine." I started pacing again. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Rosalie burst back into the hallway and sat on the edge of Catherine's bed. She began to whisper soothing sounds that I didn't bother listening to.

"Edward." I didn't look up. Back and forth, back and forth. "Edward." I was losing it. And over what? A little girl. A little insignificant girl whose mind I couldn't read. Wait a minute, this sounded familiar….

"Edward!" This time, the voice was followed by a shove. I looked up, and Jasper was pacing beside me.

"Come on, downstairs." He yanked me down the stairs to the living room and pushed me onto the couch.

"Now, I should beat you up like Emmett did earlier, but I think Catherine might blow a gasket if I did. So, I'm putting you to work." He shoved a laptop into my hands.

"Bella called with an idea earlier. A long time ago, for a school project, she looked up her family history online. She figured it's worth a shot. The site is . It's free." I immediately started typing. I set up a profile for Catherine, and than, for the hell of it, I set up one for each of us.

"Names. She has two sisters and two brothers. I need names." I whispered. I put my head in my hands.

"I'm sorry Catherine." I whispered. "I'm so sorry." I sat there for a long time and wished that I could cry.

Bella POV

I tapped my fingers on the dashboard impatiently. I was _thirsty._ The burn in my throat was killing me. I smiled at the stupid pun, and Esme stopped the car.

"Finally." I muttered. Esme smiled at me.

"Let's go." She said as we darted from the car. I caught the smell of mountain lion, and sprinted off happily.

Twenty minutes later, I was full and ready to face humans again. Esme was already at the car when I reached it thirty seconds later.

"Ready?" I asked as I approached. She nodded, and we hit the road.

We drove around aimlessly for a few minutes at about 70 miles an hour. I hated driving slow, but we didn't have anywhere to go yet. Emmett and Alice were going to the orphanage.

My cell phone buzzed, and I flipped it open

"Yeah?"

"We're there. Alice is talking to the lady on duty. We're not getting anything though. All we're getting is the name of the people that brought her in, and she said that they were not the official guardians." It was Emmett. His voice sounded rough, like he had been yelling.

"Did you say anything, Em?"

I could hear the sheepish grin in his voice. "I might have had a few words with some of the staff. I got into her bunk where she was staying, though."

"You find anything?"

"Nothing. Just a hint of her scent. Does she smell like food to you?" His voice had dropped low enough so that only I could hear it.

"No, not really. She smells like Renesmee."

"Yeah, that's what I was kind of thinking. Didn't Jasper say something along those lines too?" I thought a moment.

"Yeah, he did. Do you think that means-"

"She's like Ness?" He finished my sentence. "I hope not. That girl's got enough to worry about without things like that."

"All right, what's the name?" I changed the subject. Esme was starting to look at me curiously, and I wasn't sure I wanted to talk about this yet.

"Angela Weber. Did you know she lives in Portland now? The number's 1-412-987-2768. Knock yourself out." Angela Weber. My best friend from high school.

Crap.

**Okay, I am looking for a beta, so anyone interested let me now. Reviews wanted, and I have decided there will need to be at least two more chapters before the huge ginormous drama kicks in. Okay, next chapter you can look forward to an Esme and another Catherine POV!**

**CocoaCullen**


	12. BONUS CHAPTER: ENCOUNTER

Encounter

Bella's POV

I took a deep breath, than winced. Bad idea. The smell of all the humans in this area made my mouth water.

It wasn't a very good area. It was just groups of tiny houses all built together. I double-checked the address, just to be sure. I couldn't have forgotten it, but I didn't want this to be real. I shifted my weight, gathering up my courage.

'Come on, Bella, just do it.' I thought to myself. I knocked on the door.

Two little kids stood in the doorway. I smiled at them. They looked exactly like Angela and Ben, if that were possible. I hadn't taken much genetics, but the boy and girl looked exactly like Ben _and_ Angela.

"Hi. Is your mom home?" I said. The little boy stuck his fingers in his mouth. The girl turned around and trotted back inside.

"Marie, who is it?" A voice I instantly recognized as Angela's rang through the hall. I heard her footsteps walk lightly down the hall. She stopped when she saw me. She didn't look too bad for a human in her- what was it now, nine years later?- late twenties.

"Bella?" She squinted, as if I weren't real. I nodded. Her face lit up, and I smiled too. I had forgotten how excited she would get. Most of the time she was so serious, but when she was happy, nothing could get her down.

"Hang on two seconds; Ben's in the back." She spun around and sprinted toward the door. "Ben! You'll never guess who's here!" I heard Ben jogging toward the house, and another set of kid's footsteps following him.

As he walked in, he grinned. "Hey, Bella. What's up? Where've you been?"

"Ben, stop! If she doesn't want to tell us, she doesn't have to!" Angela scolded. I bit back a giggle. They hadn't changed a bit.

"No, it's all right. I've been busy with my new job. Edward, Vanessa and I travel a lot, and write books about where we've been." This was true, if you felt like getting technical. Along with my Stephenie Meyer books, us Cullens also had a line of travel books for some odd reason.

"Fun!" Ben smiled. "Oh, this is Tyler, and back there are Jessica and Eric. Kids, say hello to Bella. She was our friend in school." Jessica waved cheekily. I smothered another chuckle.

A while later, when we had run out of things to talk about, Angela leaned forward on the couch. "All right, Bella. I don't mean to pressure you, but what's going on? I mean, I haven't seen you in- what?- six years?" She turned to Ben.

"Yeah, close to that." Ben said quietly. I shifted my weight uncomfortably. This was the tricky part.

I took half of a second to organize my thoughts. One of the perks to being a vampire was the fact that you could have several trains of thought running through your head and never get confused. At the moment, I was considering everything I had learned about Catherine in the past few hours, everything that I knew about Angela and how she would react to this, and gauging my thirst all at the same time. I struggled to figure out who I should say adopted Catherine. Esme and Carlisle seemed too old, but we seemed too young. Who, then?

"Well, the other day, we adopted a little girl." I said finally. I'd let them make their own conclusions to what the 'we' was referring to. "Her name is Catherine." Angela brightened up considerably.

You two adopted her! Oh, this is just too perfect. She'll fit in great with you guys if you just give her some time. Poor thing…" Angela drifted off and leaned into Ben's shoulder. Ben patted her arm.

"Angela, what happened to her?" I asked bluntly. I couldn't take the suspense anymore. I needed to know. We needed to know. Edward said it seemed like she was shielding part of the time. I knew _I_ wasn't shielding, so she must have a strong shield, like I did back when I was human.

I tuned back in as Angela spoke quietly, her words muffled by Ben's shoulder. "Catherine lived in the house next door. Don't bother going over there," she added. I grinned sheepishly. I swear, she was so perceptive it was almost like Alice every once in a while. I had forgotten that.

"The people living in that house were arrested last week. There's no one there."

My eyes must have widened, because Ben whispered "Drugs," and I nodded, gritting my teeth.

"Catherine and two other people lived there. They weren't her siblings, though. Her siblings ran away at the house before. It was two other girls living there." She pointed upstairs. "They came to our house sometimes through the upstairs window. Jessica told me eventually. I guess sometimes they slept on her floor when They were out." Angela sobbed quietly into Ben's shoulder, and he took over from there."

"Catherine never spoke a word to us. She either wrote things down on any piece of paper she could find, or got Kylie or Panda to talk to us for her." I assumed, probably correctly, that Kylie and Panda were the two other girls at the house. "All we could figure out was that she had four siblings. Robby and Maria were taken first, split up after taken away from their first foster family. At the next home, we assume Teddy and Annie were taken away, because when she came here, she said they were gone.

"Do you have any idea what her last name is?" I asked, trying to keep my anger in check. We needed names. Good, solid, names.

"No, Bells. I'm sorry." Angela spoke up again, wiping tears from her face. "We turned her in with the other girls a week ago. We figured we wouldn't ever see her again, but she would hopefully be better off than she has been.

"Do you know what happened to her to make her like… this?" I finished lamely. She obviously knew quite a lot, but I couldn't bring myself to go into details. To my huge disappointment, they both shook their heads.

"In the weeks before we turned her in, she wouldn't go near me anymore. Something had happened, and I only wish I knew what." Ben said angrily. I nodded.

"Whenever Emmett and Jasper come over, she freaks." I agreed. "She's not too bad around Rosalie, though." I added thoughtfully. I didn't miss the look Angela shot Ben, and frankly, I agreed. Rosalie never was really nice to anyone….

"Well, thanks, guys." I had to leave before they offered me anything to eat. Can you say EW?! "I am sorry that I haven't been around, but there's been a lot of stuff going on, with raising Renes-" I caught myself instantly and before they noticed finished with "Vanessa and traveling and everything else"

"Mrs. Bella?" a girlish voice trilled behind me. I turned around, and there was Jessica, grinning up at me. I raised my eyebrows unthinkingly. Here was yet another girl like me, who wasn't afraid of who I had become.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I asked gently.

"Catherine was my friend, even if she didn't talk. Kylie and Panda were my friends too. Will you tell Catherine I said hi?" She blurted out in a rush before darting back to her little brothers.

"Yes!" I called after her, purposely late. Angela smiled past me to her kids. Ben grinned too.

"I really am sorry, but I have to get going," Ben said abruptly, standing up. "Got the night shift tonight." He reached out to shake my hand, and I grabbed it cautiously. If I hadn't been paying attention- and if I were still human- he probably would have knocked me off my feet. Instead, I staggered a little, which made the kids giggle and Ben smile.

"It was nice seeing you, Bella." He said as he walked out the door. The kids also disappeared into their rooms. I stood up awkwardly. Now what?

I turned to start to the door, when Angela's question stopped me short. "Bella? Are you-" she faltered, and I winced internally. I could see what was coming, and I didn't know how to answer it. "Are you like… him now? Like Edward?" I nodded.

She started to speak again, but I held up my hand. She quieted, and I said, "Angela, if I could tell you, I really would. But, if I did, it might hurt my family." I knew she would figure I was talking about all of us, not just Edward and Vanessa and me.

"You're different, Bella. You're not quite-" I interrupted her.

"Angela. You're right. I always knew you were more perceptive than people gave you credit for." She ducked her head. "If I tell you, you'd be in danger for the rest of your life, and your family too. Not everyone of my kind is like us." It was the first time I had outright acknowledged that I was a vampire to anyone but Charlie.

"You still look eighteen, Bella. Are you going to look like this forever? Are you- will you ever die?" Angela asked.

"I probably won't look any different, Ang. As for the other question, I honestly don't know. Hopefully not for a long, long while. Ang, I can't tell you any more." I hesitated.

" Angela, we'll be able to keep in touch as long as things stay the way they are. But things could happen. Angela, I could- I could kill you." I was crying tearlessly. She reached out to hug me, and I shook my head.

"Bella, it's ok. It's okay, Bella." I calmed after a few minutes, and smiled weakly at Angela.

"I missed you, Ang." I said. "Let me know if you find anything else about Catherine." With that, I turned and walked down the stairs. I walked down the driveway and sat in the car.

Behind me, Angela called out "I'll call you, okay!" I didn't answer. I peeled out of the driveway and sped down the street.

Tonight, I would go to the abandoned house. Than, maybe I would go to the foster home and try to locate the others. Than, last, I would go home and tell Catherine that Jessica said 'hi'.

**Okay, I haven't even started on the promised chapter, i know. But, I have two requests. 1: Review, people, seriously. I reply to everyone who reviews (Starting now), and I check out your profiles to see your stories. Maybe can we get up to 40 reviews?? 2: Vote in my poll to see what I should do next. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on this!!**

**Sorry Again, CocoaCullen**


	13. Catherine and Esme POVs

**Gaaah! Sorry about the non-updatingness. Have any of you ever heard of CYT? Our county is doing Narnia, and I'm backstage. This was opening weekend, and before that we've had rehearsals, so life has been absolutely nuts. Sorry! **

**Oh yeah; WOOOO!!! 50 REVIEWS!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!! YOU ALL GET HUGS FROM MY PUPPY COCOA!!! (Google 'Yorkie Poo'. Embrace the cuteness.)**

**Oh yeah: Disclaimer: -insert something witty about not owning Twilight here-**

Esme's POV

I flitted around the kitchen, making food aimlessly. Cooking was fun, as I had discovered. Bella helped bring out that side of me, when I forced her to let me cook after a long day.

Catherine lay upstairs, sleeping. Her breath was finally even, after a long night. Edward was out, sprinting to his and Bella's secret meadow that he thought we all didn't know about. Rosalie was driving around. I didn't really understand why, as it was 3 a.m., but I didn't question her. Bella was still in Portland, saying she probably wouldn't be back until later today.

Jasper was calmly sitting at the table, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Alice and Emmett were still near the orphanage. I sighed.

Everyone was being torn apart by this girl, it seemed. What possessed us to adopt a human? True, she wasn't an average human, as it seemed. But, she certainly wasn't one of us.

A creaking noise caused me to look up from my pale hands. Jasper had stood up and was now standing leanly across the counter from me. My mouth turned up in a half smile.

Jasper had originally been wary around all of us, and I could understand his perspective. From his story, the vampires he'd been around were not to be trusted.

He smiled at me, his topaz eyes gleaming as he traced his fingers absently along the ornate designs in the counter. "You're worried." It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway.

"Why?" His blunt question shocked me. Why wouldn't I be worried? I was always worried for my family. At times it seemed that they didn't worry enough, so I had to make up for it.

"She's not afraid. Not of us." Jasper murmured softly, almost to himself. He thrust his hands out in front of him. The crescent scars peppered his hands, and he traced them in a complex pattern. "She saw these. All of them. But she wasn't afraid." He sounded awed. "How can she not be afraid of someone like me? Especially after the things that she's been through?" He looked up at me than, and his topaz eyes were on fire. He was _angry_.

"Jasper," I started to warn, and he dropped his voice immediately.

His low voice hissed as he spoke again. "I have felt this much pain twice. Only twice. _Never _from a human. Once when I was changed. The other when-." He broke off and put his head in his hands. He didn't need to say anything else. Just speaking the words seemed like it would bring all the pain of those dark times back. The times when we had to leave Forks. The times when Edward tore himself away from the woman we already considered as family.

"I don't understand it. I can't understand it. I can't understand how someone like her can be in pain like that and not show any emotion. It's driving me insane." He hissed. His tone was livid, and I could feel the anger rolling in waves off of him.

"Jasper." I spoke again, and his head jerked up. His wild eyes met my calmer ones, and his face relaxed. His eyes calmed slowly, and returned to their lighter color. His mouth, which had been a thin line before, slowly unclenched.

"Sorry." Jasper said, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. I shook my head. He couldn't convince me. The expression dropped.

"Look, Jasper. I don't know what happened to her. I'm not sure anyone knows the entirety of the situation. Maybe this was a mistake. She's tearing all of us apart. I just want everything the way it was before, with all of us happy." I voiced my fears for the first time, and I dropped my head in shame.

Jasper's voice made me look up, like an ashamed child. "Esme, we can't bring her back." He sounded younger now, like a child begging to keep a stray puppy. "She needs us. I have a feeling she'll be important to us. Can't we just try?" He begged. I kept my poker face on. Inside I was laughing my head off. I had just remembered the time Jasper wanted to keep a kitten he had found outside of our house.

I nodded slowly, and Jasper smiled for real this time. He began to leave, but I held up a hand. "Jasper, anytime you feel like you need to vent, I'm here." He nodded.

"I know."

"If it gets to be too much, you can leave whenever you want. None of us will hold it against you."

"Thanks, Es- Thanks Mom." He said mischievously, and darted out before I could smack his arm.

Catherine's POV

The figure was coming closer and closer. He was almost on top of me. He leaped as I curled away. I whimpered softly. I braced myself for impact. 3, 2, 1-

My eyes flickered open to an enclosed room. Before I could panic, I shut my eyes and focused on keeping my breathing and heart rate steady and even. As I took deep, steady breaths like I had been moments before, I glanced around the room.

It was no more than a closet, with the bed I was laying on taking up most of the space. Just as I was about to go into a full-fledged panic attack, the events of the past 48 hours came rushing back, and I lay back down slowly.

It wasn't morning yet, but I wasn't tired anymore. I didn't ever need much sleep, but these people didn't need to know that. I stretched softly, and waited for the pain to catch up with me. After a moment, I sat up in amazement.

I wasn't in physical pain, for once. I marveled at that for a moment. I lifted my bad arm and examined it. My splint was gone, replaced with a thin cast. I tapped it softly, and I winced. Bad idea.

I took a few minutes to lift and test every part of my body, enjoying the sensation of moving without pain. Than, slowly, very slowly, I stood. I stood with my body pressed against the wall for a moment, concentrating on nothing but keeping my heart rate steady. Then, I moved miniscule amounts until I was by the door.

I pressed my ear against the door. I heard voices down there. One was Jasper's. The other's was Esme's. I could recognize voices after only hearing them a couple of times. It was a handy gift at times like this. The door wasn't completely latched, which was in my favor. I was good, but I couldn't get doors open without making a little sound. All I could hope was that the door wouldn't creak as it opened.

I tapped the door softly. It swung open four or five inches, than began to close again. I tapped it harder, and it opened about a foot, just wide enough for me to get out without touching the door.

Once out in the hall, I froze. This was the part I hated. What to do now? I only had seconds to move.

There were things that had to be done. I sidled along the wall noiselessly until my outstretched fingers probed a doorway. I slid in; the door was wide open, but there was no one there.

I was standing in the entrance of a perfectly girly room. There were clothes all over the floor. From the few pieces of information I had collected, I gathered that this was Alice's room. She seemed like the once more interested in the girly things.

I exhaled a bit deeper than normally, but not so loud that it would sound like a sigh. With faint footsteps I was sure would be muffled completely by the plush white carpet, I knelt down and started to sort the clothes. I had work to do.

Esme's POV

The food was done. The oven timer _beeped_, and I lifted the brownies out deftly, spreading a thin layer of York Mints across to give it a minty frosting. The brownies smelled good, but I figured that if I tried to taste one, it would be horrible. I took a generous piece, placed it in a bowl with some ice cream, and darted across the yard to the hut. I let myself into Edward and Bella's home, and tiptoed to Nessie's room.

She stirred as I entered her room. "Esme?" She groaned softly. "It's too early for studying." I bit back a chuckle as she looked at me blearily.

"I don't want to eat a watermelon, Jacob." She muttered softly. "You do it. You have a big enough mouth." I bit my lip, trying not to burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing, Mama? It's not funny that Jacob fell out of a tree." She frowned. Her eyes were staring straight through me.

"Why does the president of Argentina care about my eating Jacob's watermelon? I don't want a watermelon. I want candy when I dress up on Halloween!" She cried. I choked back hysterics. "Fisher Price… it's Brisket time!"

All of a sudden, her eyes refocused, and she screeched. She was awake. I burst into laughter.

"What did I say?" She demanded, taking the ice cream from my hands and beginning to eat as I tried to calm my hysterics.

"Nothing, nothing." I panted, as out of breath as a vampire can be. "Just wanted to bring you a treat."

"Trick or treat." She muttered sourly as I left, which caused me to laugh all the way back to the main house.

When I reached the kitchen, I stopped short in surprise. Edward was at the table, in the exact position Jasper had been in. Jasper had disappeared into the area in front of the house, but I didn't feel like searching him out. Edward banged his fist. He was on the laptop, but it was obvious things weren't going well.

"Hello, Esme." His voice was cold. I ignored him. He would talk if he felt like it.

"No." Edward grunted. I picked up my cell phone, and consecutively dialed Alice's, Carlisle's, Bella's, Rosalie's, and Jasper's numbers. Everyone but Rosalie picked up instantly.

"Hey, Esme." Alice and Bella chorused.

"Morning, love." Carlisle spoke lovingly. Alice gagged. Jasper didn't say anything, but we all felt his presence.

"What's going on?" Alice said impatiently. "I didn't get a-" I cut her off.

"You're on speaker, everyone. Say hello to Edward!" I sang. Edward looked up and grunted before turning back to his work.

"Good morning to you too, Suzy Sunshine," called Jasper. Bella giggled.

"I'm going to use that." She sang.

"Alice, any news?" Edward interrupted. He had stood up and walked over to stand next to me.

"Sorry, Edward. Nothing." Alice said glumly. Edward threw up his hands and stalked away.

"Dammit! I need names! I've got to get out of here." He started to storm away, but Bella's next words stopped him in his tracks.

"I went to their old house. I've got names."

Catherine's POV

Alice's room was spotless. All the clothes were in the never-ending closet, and everything else was straightened up. I slipped out of the room and stopped still. I heard voices.

They were talking about me. I crept to the steps and stopped. They would hear me if I stepped on the wood.

I heard Edward's voice, wild with excitement. What was he doing up so early? As a matter of fact, why wasn't anyone else sleeping? Alice was gone, Edward was awake, and he was obviously talking to someone else.

"Names? Tell me." He sounded breathless, which seemed odd on someone like him. For the most part he seemed calm and composed. Except when it came to me. I started to tiptoe back down the hall when I heard more female voices chime in.

"Edward, wait, don't-"

"Angela told me that her daughter got the names. I still don't have a last name, but-"

There was a low, urgent murmur in the background, and in the background there were tires screeching.

"Rosalie just went by. I'm on my way back in."

"Annie, Maria, Teddy, Robert." I stopped completely still. My carefully composed little world shattered into millions of tiny pieces. Before I could form a coherent thought, my world went black.

**Teehee… cliffiy!! Just for the record, this isn't how I planned for this chapter to go. However, whatever works, right? **

**Review, as always. Can we get to 60 reviews, maybe? If I get the next chapter out tomorrow?? I'm over halfway done with it, I think. **

**2: Vote please! I'm updating the poll as soon as I post this, so tell me what you want me to write on the side of this. **

**3: Beta? Anyone? Pleeease? **

**CocoaCullen**

**P.S. If anyone caught any of my inside jokes (there's two, maybe three…) or thinks they know what's going to happen next, (after the next chapter, cuz that's a continuation of this one.) than let me know and I'll give you a sneak peek! **


	14. Pain

**Okay, I lied. Sorry!! Been hugely busy!!! Also, this chapter has been beta-d, thanks to williammoseleysgirl!!!**

**Just a fair warning: This chapter is kind of angsty, BUT you get a lot of semi-important (for now) information about Catherine.**

Esme's POV

Crap. She was awake. That would end up being a problem later, I think. Yeah, definitely. Not good.

Bella swore softly. "Sorry Esme. I'm on my way." There were a few soft clicks, until the only person left on the line was Carlisle. Edward had darted upstairs to see what had happened. Catherine had been sleeping for a while, but maybe the stress had caught up to her.

"Why?" He asked softly. I didn't say a word, but it seemed like a whole conversation went unspoken.

"She's tearing us apart." I said at last. "What if-?"

Carlisle's voice was suddenly low and angry. "Esme, we know she's not completely human. What if she's one of us? What if we cast her out and she died? When Emmett was dying, would you just say that we shouldn't rip our family apart to change him? Would you do that to any of the rest of our children? She needs us. "

I was absolutely silent. After about a second or two Carlisle spoke again, more gently. "I'm sorry, Esme. That was too harsh. It's just, Catherine-"

"This is what I'm talking about! Everybody is fighting because of her! I just want things to be happy again!" I cried softly.

"Esme. You know that we can't go back now. She's been _dying_. Can't we sacrifice a little bit of our happiness to try to help her?" His statement was logical. I started to breathe again.

"Jasper is worried about her. She's got a huge shield. Even more powerful than Bella's, by the sound of it. And she can remove it. Much more easily than Bella can." I whispered.

"Esme?" Edward's worried voice chilled me to the bone. Edward hardly ever sounded this afraid. Even when the Volturi came he was always calm for Bella.

"Hang on, Carlisle." I said out loud. _Edward, what's wrong?_

Edward said the one word that made my unbeating heart sink for what seemed like the millionth time today.

"Catherine."

**Warning: Here comes Angst.**

Catherine's POV

Annie.  
Teddy.  
Maria.  
Robby.

How funny. I could think, but it was like I was watching myself. All I could see was this blackness, pressing in from every side. Yet it was like I was watching the whole scene from above. It was like one of those old silent movies.

Edward was knelt beside me, examining me without touching me. I was glad of that. Even if this was death, I didn't want anyone to touch me ever again.

Esme came darting up the stairs. I had decided I liked her. She was nice to me, and didn't beg to be my mom. She could never take the place of Momma. Nobody ever could.

The father- Carlisle, I think- came running up the stairs a few minutes later. He produced a needle from somewhere in his long white coat. In my mind I winced. I knew he was going to stab me with that. I knew he was trying to help me, but by this point I didn't want help. I didn't feel anything as he stabbed me with the needle, but barely seconds later, I felt as if I was being pulled back into my body.

Color and sound rushed around me. I was through with my out-of-body experience, which annoyed me a bit, but worse than that was the pain.

The darkness enveloped me. I could hear sound around me, but my body refused to respond. I was caged by the pain in a small corner of my head, curled up in that corner, unable to control myself.

I couldn't think. I _wouldn't_ think. The pain was too strong for that. The pain of everything I had been through was finally coming through. I couldn't protect myself any longer. All the barricades were gone. I couldn't protect the people around me any longer. Those four little words had destroyed my world.

Robby. Maria. Teddy. Annie.

Robby. He would be eleven years old by now. He looked like a little version of Daddy. Dark curly hair and dark eyes. I hadn't seen him in forever. I hoped he was somewhere where he could play sports like he used to when everything was still good.

Maria. Robby's twin and so, so shy. She was beautiful. She loved playing Mommy. Whenever we would move, she helped the others get used to our new surroundings. I hoped her and Robby were still together. They balanced each other perfectly; light and dark.

Teddy. Sweet, sweet Teddy. He was the serious little kid that never understood when people teased him. Was he only seven the last time I saw him? He would be nine now, I think. I wonder if he still loves to learn and cuddle. He was always our 'little Teddy bear'.

Annie. My baby girl. Daddy tried to love her, but I know somewhere deep inside himself he blamed her for Momma's death. Annie was smart for her age, but just a baby in others. Today would have been her sixth birthday.

Happy Birthday, Annie. I love you.

**Angst over for a couple minutes....**

Esme's POV

Carlisle raced past me without even saying hello. I didn't mind. This was serious.

Catherine lay on the floor near the stairs. Carlisle was afraid if she convulsed, she would fall. She was sprawled in what looked like a very uncomfortable position; head tilted to the side, arms and legs flailed to the side. Her face was pale; her brows knit together in anguish. Her dirty-blonde hair was strewn around her.

"How did she get out here?" I asked. "She was sleeping, wasn't she?" Edward face contorted in pain.

"No. She's been up for a while, I think." His voice was ragged, like he was being tortured. I realized belatedly that her thoughts probably weren't happy. I patted his shoulder, and he winced. Oh yeah, the whole non-touching thing would probably affect him....

Bella and Jasper raced up the stairs together, with Rosalie hot on their heels. Bella probably had ditched the car somewhere and flat out _ran_.

My cell phone buzzed, and I picked it up to hear Alice already talking.

"-didn't see that coming. I'm so, so sorry. Jasper's going to freak out in 3, 2, 1-" she was cut off as Jasper dropped to his knees.

"Alice, how long?" I demanded anxiously.

"I'll be there with Emmett in a minute. We're running as fast as we can." She reassured me. I hung up before she could continue.

Rosalie jumped lightly over the small crowd and landed next to Jasper. "Jasper. Jasssspeeer." He didn't respond. She looked at the rest of us. "I've got nothing."

**And, here we go again with the angst....**

Jasper's POV

Pain. So much pain. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. The only thing in my existence right now was pain. And yet….

Somewhere, deep in my core, there was a shade of gratitude. I had said before that she couldn't possibly be in any more pain. I was wrong. She had protected us somehow from that. I was thankful for that.

I was experiencing emotions in a way my gift had never let me before. There was nothing between her and me, me and her. It was the strangest sensation. Whenever Catherine felt any emotion, it was mirrored into me. The only problem was I couldn't tell what was causing it. It was like hearing a movie without seeing it. Or being forced to kill without knowing there was another choice.

Edward hissed in triumph. One of our questions had been answered. I didn't really care which one. All I could process was the mind-numbing pain.

Catherine whimpered, and I whimpered, too. We were connected. We were one, two halves of a whole. It felt like I was about to explode from the pain, yet I knew it must be worse for her. Much, much worse.

Pain came in waves, knocking me over. This wasn't purely physical pain, like the time I was changed. Yet, it wasn't purely mental pain, like when we left Bella. This was a horrifying mix of black and black, pain and pain.

In the very back of my mind, I heard a door slam. I didn't care. I didn't want to think anymore. If one more thing happened to me I would die.

Catherine's POV

The pain never left me. It never stopped tearing at me, never stopped hurting me. It never left me alone in my tiny cage. I was barely able to fit in the cage, yet it seemed to fit. Everything was my fault. I deserved this pain. So, though I sobbed and pleaded desperately but silently for death, I accepted whatever was given to me.

Yet, somehow, it was less. Less mind-shattering, less incapacitating.

It was like… like someone was taking a tiny fraction of my pain and bearing it for me.

This, as you can probably tell, made me feel worse. I couldn't protect the ones around me, the ones I thought could help me. I couldn't protect them from this pain, which, in my head, brought on another round of hysterics. My mind flashed fervently through the faces of this family.

Carlisle. A doctor. I hadn't really met him yet. Still, he let Esme bring me home without even meeting me. I don't like doctors. But, he seemed innocent enough. He didn't deserve this nightmare.

Esme. Esme, someone who obviously just wants someone to love. She took me in, when I was sure I would spend the rest of my life in terror. Thank you, Esme, but you don't deserve this pain either.

Bella. I didn't really know Bella. I should resent her for bringing this imprisonment on me, but it wasn't her fault. She didn't know. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone, not even her.

Edward. He meant well, I supposed. It wasn't his fault I was so afraid. He just wanted to help me fit in here. He wanted to help me be happy again. He was a little like a dog, just wanting what I wanted. I wish I could have trusted him.

Alice. She seemed so _nice._ It was really too bad that I didn't get to know her. She always tried to help me adjust. She tried to help me fix things. But sometimes, things are too broken to fix. There was something about her, though, that was terrifyingly familiar…

Jasper. I felt a connection with him. Somehow, when he was around me, things seemed like they might be the tiniest bit okay. Too bad they weren't. He seemed to be in so much pain because of me. I really was sorry about that.

Emmett. I'm sorry. I just couldn't get over his size. He scared me. I tried, I really did. Some things just can't change.

Rosalie. I swear, she looked just like Mama. I had this thought once that maybe she wasn't dead. Maybe she just left us, which still hurt. But it came out to this: she still wasn't with me. And that was one of the things that ruined my life.

And Vanessa: who was she?

It came down to this: the men in the family I could describe easily. A doctor, a Golden Lab, a terrifying teddy bear, and someone with a past that seemed almost as bad as mine. The women, however, were more complicated. A woman who wanted people to love, and a woman who looked like my angel. Someone who caused my pain to return, and someone who laughed like a demon.

**K, angst pretty much over. Thanks for putting up with it!!**

Alice's POV

By the time I got home, everything was in chaos. It figures. I'm gone for a day and the whole system falls apart.

The moment I entered the driveway, Carlisle was there, pacing. We darted upstairs together. I was running as fast as I could, but I stopped short as I took in the scene at hand.

Catherine was sprawled in what looked like a very uncomfortable position on the floor. Rosalie was sitting by her head, Edward and Jasper were curled up in their respective corners, and Emmett, who had beat me up, was pacing. Esme was watching Catherine's face intently, and Bella was typing frantically on a laptop.

Carlisle immediately started examining her carefully, making sure not to touch her. Jasper and Edward hissed at the same time, and Catherine stiffened, than cried out. I winced in sympathy. The whole shield thing probably wasn't actually doing anything at the moment...

"We need to wake her up now." Carlisle said calmly. "Bella, help Edward calm down please. Alice, take Jasper too." Bella and I stood up together, and grabbed our husbands by the arm.

Jasper looked up at me dully. My breath caught for a moment, until I realized I didn't need to breathe. His eyes, pitch black, were haunted. He stared blankly for a moment, than looked down again. I bit my lip to keep from sobbing. Bella was having the same trouble.

We looked at each other long enough for an unspoken agreement to take place, and than, in perfect synchronization, lifted our husbands across our shoulders. One behind the other, we carried them outside.

I sped to the outer borders of our home and set Jasper down. He was taking shallow breaths now, which was better than before. I sat cross-legged across from him and stared into his scarred face, waiting patiently for him to calm down.

It happened slowly. After a few moments, he recognized me. I smiled, and let myself feel happiness. After another moment or so, he smiled a half-smile, and his eyes slowly started to lighten.I exuded as much happiness as I could, while trying to keep my panic hidden. Bella noticed and did the same. _Happy thoughts… Happy thoughts…_

It worked eventually. "Hey." Jasper said weakly. I threw my arms around him and pecked him on the lips.

"I love you." I whispered in his ear. "Will you be okay for a bit? I'm going back up." He nodded slowly. "Don't take more than you can handle." I murmured. "That scared me." He made a noise that sounded like an agreement, so I stood up and sped back to the house.

When I got back, the scene was slightly more organized. Emmett was hauling medical equipment out to the hallway, Esme was scribbling notes in her flowing handwriting as Carlisle dictated, and Rosalie had resumed her position by Catherine's head.

"This is all well and good." I said pleasantly. Everyone looked up in surprise. I had been quiet on my way up. "But, aren't we supposed to be waking her up?" Carlisle looked a little ashamed.

"I was taking notes." He sounded crestfallen, like a child whose favorite toy was taken away. It sounded funny coming from our father.

I ignored him. I flipped open a cell phone and dialed Jasper's number. It was easier this way.

"Mmm?" Jasper sounded better. Not normal, but better. I sighed. Why didn't I ever get a vision when anything was this important?

"If you can deal with anything else, it would be helpful if you could try to take a little more. They'll be a little something for you later…" I trailed off, and I could hear the click in his mind. I could see the grin on his face.

"Tell Edward to get whatever he can _without_ getting her shield up. We need the shield down to get her back." Without waiting for an answer, I hung up.

Why was I always the one who had to take charge? I sighed impatiently. "Rosalie, go turn on that emo music Jas was listening to before. _Quietly._ Carlisle, you get a minute. By than the boys should be good. Emmett, do your thing." Emmett, unsmiling for once in a long while, (well, since this morning) nodded and continued setting up. The next thirty seconds were a blur.

Catherine stirred for the first time in a while. Her body slowly started to relax, and her brow smoothed. I knelt down beside her.

"Catherine. Catherine. It's Alice. Alice. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe. You're fine." Catherine stiffened. I sighed again. She liked me, but she was scared of me. It figured. I grinned. I was scary pixie.

Quickly blocking that thought from Edward, I backed off. Rosalie darted in to take my spot. "Catherine. It's Rosalie. It's- it's Rosalie. Rosie. Rose. You're fine, honey. It's okay. She's sorry. She won't bring it up again. I promise. You're okay now, honey. You can open your eyes."

Just than, my eyesight fuzzed, and I sighed in contentment. Finally.

"She'll open her eyes in 97 seconds. Thank goodness." I declared. "Thanks, Jasper. You think you can come up? You too, Bella." I added. Within seconds, Jasper and Bella were both up.

"Okay, Bella, say whatever you're going to say. Jasper, I'm sorry. Take as much as you can. We'll be giving out as much calm as we can. Carlisle, you have thirty more seconds. Get whatever done that you need to get done." With that, I started thinking of happy thoughts. Times when I was calm and relaxed. I could feel everyone else doing the same.

Jasper concentrated, and though his face was twisted up with pain, he seemed at peace. Catherine relaxed completely. Her face smoothed, and the corners of her mouth tugged, like she was fighting back a smile.

After another moment or two, Carlisle nodded, and Bella crouched beside Rosalie. The two shared a secret smile. "Catherine? It's Bella. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know you were listening. I'm not saying this to hurt you. I'm sorry. One of your friends told me to tell you something." The countdown in my head started broadcasting to Edward. _20, 19, 18, 17-_

"Catherine, you're okay now. It's going to be okay. Please trust us. I know it's hard, but trust us." Rosalie added. _12, 11, 10-_. With what looked like a huge effort, Jasper spoke up. Which, of course, added three seconds to the countdown.

"Catherine. I know what you're going through. Believe me, I know." He said with a wry smile. "We're here for you. _5, 4, 3,-_

"Now!" I hissed, and Carlisle hid his notepad.

"Catherine, Jessica told me to tell you she says 'hi'." Bella said softly.

With that, Catherine opened her blue-green eyes to find seven pairs of topaz eyes gazing down at her in relief.

**Once again, sorry about all the angst. It needed to be done.** **Once again, vote, review, ect. The 'what should i do next' poll will be replaced with a 'What should Catherine's last name be' poll on Tuesdayish. **

**P.S. There is foreshadowing hugely in this chapter. Anyone who can figure out what I put in there that relates to the SEQUEL gets a sneek peek at the next chappie!!!**

**P.P.S. Any thoughts? At all? Please? I want to know what you think!!!!**

**CocoaCullen**


	15. Aftermath

**Okay: I have a small rant, and then I'll get on with the story...**

**Just for the record, if you're going to criticize my story and my way of writing, would you at least say it nicely? Instead of going 'ooh, bad. Stop messing with the characters! It's not fluffy enough!' Okay, first: Tell me what I'm doing bad so I can fix it. Second: I'm trying to keep as much IN character as I can. For anyone who writes, you know that can be hard. Third: I don't do fluff. This chapter- which I personally don't think is very good- is about as fluffy as I get. So, if you're going to flame, could you at least try to be nice about it?**

**Oh: one more thing; I AM TEAM EDWARD! All of the things people took as semi-insults in the last chapter: Those were Catherine's PERCEPTIONS of the characters. Not my personal thing. Oh yeah; I totally forgot Newton when I compared Edward to a golden lab. Ew. I lovee Edward. (I just love Jasper more) **

**Ok, done with ranting. Sorry. Congrats to contest winner, who knows about as much of the story as I do now!! :) This'll be the last update on this untill probably 2009, so enjoy it. If I'm lucky I'll be writing a couple of oneshots, and working on Coven. (The prologue is being beta'd now!!) **

**Oh yeah: Disclaimer: Raise your hand if you think I'm SM. Anyone? Anyone? Didn't think so.**

Alice's POV

It was finally morning. It was funny to think that it had been less than three days since she had showed up. In such a short time, everything had changed.

Catherine was asleep, for real this time. Everyone else was milling around the house. Nessie was studying downstairs with Esme, while Jacob snored in his wolf form somewhere outside the house. Everyone was confused. What had happened? Why?

Visions wavered in and out of focus. Jacob's presence wasn't exactly helping, but still. I couldn't _see._ I tried for a little while longer, but finally gave up as nothing improved.

I skipped lightly into my room and stopped still in the doorway. It was _clean._ How did that happen? I couldn't see any of us doing it; either way I would have heard her walk in. I sniffed lightly. Jasper and my scent flooded my nose, but underneath the traces of the rest of our family, a strange, fruity scent caught my attention. Could it be-?

I tiptoed down the hallway and stopped in front of Catherine's closet. The smell was stronger here. It _was_ her. But she had been sleeping. Hadn't she? Than again, how did she get out into the hallway? Did she sleepwalk? There was too much mystery surrounding this girl, and I didn't like it.

I walked past the door and flitted down the stairs. Jasper was lounged casually on the couch. Edward was at the computer- it was becoming more and more common to see him there- and Esme and Nessie were in the dining room. Why did we even have a dining room? I wondered distractedly as I sat down on the couch next to Jasper.

"You okay?" I whispered. He nodded, obviously in deep concentration. After a moment his brow relaxed, and a lock of blonde hair fell in front of his eyes.

"There. She'll sleep for a while longer, and maybe not have nightmares for once." His voice was tight, even though his face was calm. I could see right through him.

"Jas, you need to stop." My voice was gentle, and he looked up. My heart twisted in pain. His eyes weren't black, but they were hollow. This was eating him alive.

"Alice, you didn't know what it was like. It was horrible." His voice broke on the last word, and I wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me closer.

"What was it like?" I asked him encouragingly.

"Ali- she doesn't remember what peace is. Everything was pain. I almost couldn't find myself." His voice was broken. I pulled myself into his lap.

"Jasper, you can't take everything away for her. It'll tear you apart." I nuzzled his neck. "Tell me everything that happened. Please."

"When she collapsed, everything that made her _her_ fell apart. Nothing separated her from me. I couldn't stop any of it from coming to me." His speech was halting and painful. I could picture it from his perspective. The emotions hitting him like a sledgehammer, him collapsing, everything. "Somehow, she hid that from all of us. I am thankful for that."

"Jasper. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." I whispered into his neck. I closed my eyes and relaxed against him. I felt him tense, than relax. I heard Edward's hands flit over the keyboard. I thought back to a time when everything seemed so simple. It was just me and Jasper, then later the Cullens and us. Why did things have to change?

As if Jasper could read my thoughts, he whispered, "Sometimes solutions aren't so simple." I smiled sadly.  
"Yes. But sometimes, things work out just right." I replied softly. "We'll just have to try again."

It didn't matter if things seemed horrible right now. We would try again. We couldn't _not_ do anything. We would try again. If it didn't work, we would try again. It didn't matter. She was one of us. It wasn't just me and Jasper anymore. It wasn't us and the Cullens, either. It was the Cullens. Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, Nessie, Rosalie, Emmett, and Catherine. And as far as I was concerned, that was the way it would stay.

Edward's POV

Catherine Remzer. Robby Remzer. Maria Remzer. Annie Remzer. Suddenly everything had shifted. I could trace them back. I didn't see how this could be important, but it was interesting.

Wait: this _was_ important. I was constantly forgetting she was different.

I finished typing and sat back. Bella skipped over to lean on the back of the chair. Catherine Remzer. Mother- ? Dead. Father-? Dead? Bella stood on tiptoed and hugged me from behind.

"Come on. Let's go hunt." I shook my head. She wasn't thirsty, and neither was I. She sat on my lap and closed the laptop. I thought about protesting, but my heart wasn't in it. "You don't _do_ anything. It's boring." Her face was playful, but I could hear the hurt in her voice. I kissed her forehead. She made a face at me. So, I pulled her closer and kissed her full on the lips.

We stayed like that for a while. For a moment, I could almost forget the little human girl upstairs. But, as always, being a mind-reader ruined the moment.

_Ew. That's gross._

_**Gosh, guys, get a room.**_ Nessie and Jacob. Of course.

I sighed and broke the kiss. Bella pouted. I smiled, and kissed her one last time. Than we turned to our lovely daughter and her pet dog.

"Oh, sorry. Were we disturbing something?" Jacob asked innocently. I snarled.

"Go to hell, dog."  
"See you there."  
"Daddy!"  
"Edward!" Bella blew her sweet breath into my ear, which distracted me enough for Jacob and Nessie to make their escape.

"Who's dazzling who, now?" I grumbled. Bella laughed softly in my ear, and I reluctantly smiled, too. Bella stood up and walked over to Nessie, while Alice trotted over to me.

"Any luck?" She asked. I shook my head. "We'll get there, though." She nodded, and her forehead smoothed. She was having a vision. Her eyes went blank, and her dainty form swayed a tiny bit. Jasper was by her side instantly, and kept her in his arms. She shook her head and tried to block her thoughts, but it was too late.

Nessie and Jacob in a meadow. He told her everything. Their first real kiss. Jacob. In Alice's vision. How?

She looked at me guiltily. I shook my head. _I don't want to know._ She raised her eyebrows. _You need to know._ I narrowed my eyes. _Not now. Later._

Everyone's thoughts drifted through my mind. _What was it?_ Came Jasper's worried voice in my head. I shook my head slightly. _Does it involve Alice? Bella? Nessie?_ I shook my head twice and nodded. _Ah. Okay. _He wandered away with Alice in his grasp.

_What's happening? Anything?_ Rosalie thought lazily. She could hear everything going on, but was too lazy to come downstairs. I ignored her and walked over to my piano.

I played Bella's Lullaby first, letting the sweet sounds of the melody wash over me. I played Esme's song next. I played each of the songs of our family, ending with Bella's again. Then I combined bits and pieces of each song, weaving a bittersweet melody through the beautiful mess.

I was nearly there when a small coughing sound broke me from my trance. Alice was standing behind me. I motioned for her to sit down, and she sat next to me on the bench. She played a high piece, and I played the bass. As we played, she replayed the vision for me.

As the vision ended, she thought _this is the second vision I've had of- this. _

"Why didn't you say anything?" I muttered, banging the keys a bit too hard for the light melody Alice was playing.

_This goes against everything I've believed about my visions. Jacob can't become a vampire. I can see Nessie for obvious reasons, she's part vampire. That's new, though. It's always been so hard to see Nessie. I'm sorry. It's- weird. I'm not used to my power changing. It scares me a bit, how everything is changing. _

"It's alright. Don't worry. Do you think it'll be soon, than?"

_Very soon. Ness doesn't look that much older in that field._

"Alright. Thanks, Al. Listen, I keep trying to apologize, but no one seems to be listening-"

_Edward, no one knew that would happen. Believe me, I'm not very happy about this, either. There's too many unanswered questions for my taste. _Her reassurances calmed me. _Look, we're leaving notes on her door. We want to try again. __Don't approach her._ I nodded.

"I didn't mean to. I won't go near her. I just want her to know I'm sorry." I said. She stood up.

_I know. I think she knows, too. Write a note if you want. We'll stick it in. Now, go play your piano. _She walked away silently, humming a tune in her head. She was singing a silent song. The melody was beautiful. She turned and winked at me.

Oh. That was it! I played the song on the piano, adding touches here and there. It was perfect. It was Catherine's silent song. It was her.

Catherine's POV

I woke up sweating. I was in the closet again. What had happened? There were notes on my door. Would they explain? I thought about grabbing them, but as I sat up my body groaned in protest. I ignored the pain. Pain is just a message. Pain is just a message. I was blocking all calls.

The first message was written in impossibly beautiful cursive.

_Catherine,_

_By the time you get this, you hopefully will feel better. Everyone is just going to be around the house today. You're free to do what you want. If you don't mind, we're going to try again. I think everyone got off on the wrong foot. I'm sorry. For all of us. If you want to try again, we'll be around. – Alice_

_Catherine,_

_I just want to say I'm sorry. I'll be at the piano if you want to talk. I'm sorry. I have something for you if you want it. _

_Edward_

_**Catherine,**_

_**If you feel okay when you wake up, come and find me if you want. It might make you feel better. –Jasper.**_

**Catherine- I'm sorry. I didn't know that it would hurt you. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'll be around the house.- Bella.**

I shook my head. What had happened last night? And why couldn't I remember? I thought back. This had happened whenever something bad had happened to me before. One of the doctors had called it repression. Whenever the subject (me) had painful memories, the mind would unconsciously block them out. Hm.

I looked in the tiny dresser at the foot of the bed. There was none of the thousands of outfits that were in the closet of the other bedroom. Instead, there were simple outfits that looked as if they belonged to someone else. I sighed softly. They _were_ someone else's. Oh well.

I pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt by instinct. Than I stopped. It _was_ summer. I put on a pair of capris and a three-quarter length shirt on instead.

The door creaked as I opened it. I stuffed the notes in my pocket, wincing at the loud crackling noise they made. I was sure that everyone in the house could hear my clumsy footsteps as I walked to the stairs. What had happened last night? Why did I feel like something had changed drastically? And why did everyone else seem to know about it?

I leaned over the railing to look at the living room two floors below. I faintly heard someone playing at the piano. I considered going down both flights, but I decided to explore first. I never really had a chance.

Along the same wall of my little space was Alice's room. I stopped. How did I know that? I shook my head. I opened the door a crack and looked in. It was spotless. It was clean. It was my handiwork. No one was there. I moved on in a daze. Closer to the stairway was the room that belonged to either Rose or Emmett. I wasn't sure, really. They always seemed to be together. At the end of the hallway, there was a huge wooden cross. Were they religious? Was it an antique? Should I care?

To the right, there was a glass-paned door. I peeked through the glass cautiously. The father was in there- Carlisle? I stayed crouched for a minute, than he looked up. I shied away, but snuck another look a minute later. He was pointedly looking at his work. I walked away.

On the second floor there had to be more rooms. There were three. The parent's room, obviously. Than a room for Bella, Vanessa, and Rosalie. At least, that's what it looked like. The room across the hall was obviously Edward's and Jasper's. Two beds, and stacks and stacks of music.

Nobody was in their rooms. I guess that wasn't unusual. I walked down the huge stairway slowly. Alice and Bella were playing checkers in the dining room. Jasper was sitting on the couch. I hesitated, than walked over to sit near Jasper. To anyone else, it would look like he hadn't noticed. But I saw how his breath caught and how he tensed for just a second, than relaxed and exhaled.

Neither of us moved for a good twenty minutes or so. After a while, I felt strangely at peace. I looked at Jasper. He had a small smile on his face, and his eyes were closed. I watched him for a moment. His forehead smoothed and his eyes opened. His smile grew larger.

"You okay?" He asked. I shook my head. "That's alright." He shook his head. "I'm not doing this right. I'm Jasper. I'm- I want to say your new brother, but I'm thinking you won't like that." I shook my head again. "Here." I focused in on a notebook on the coffee table. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Blame Alice." He said simply. "She wants to make you feel at home."

I shrugged and snatched it from the table. **Thanks.** "No problem. Anytime you feel bad, come find me. Everyone says that I have a good effect on them." His voice was strained. I winced.** Sorry.** "It's not your fault." **It **_**is.**_ "No. Catherine," He said, his voice dropping. "We just want you to be happy. If that hurts us a little, so be it. It's happened before."

I stood up**. Thanks.** He nodded. I walked over to the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools. A girl my age sat on the other.

"Hi. You haven't really met me, have you?" She asked. I shook my head. I think I would have recognized her. "I'm Vanessa. Edward's brother." They had the same hair color, the same pale skin. "Sorry about him being such a jerk." She smiled. "You hungry?" I shrugged. "Here." She shoved some cereal in front of my face, and I ate. She watched me for a moment, than poured a bowl for herself. We ate in silence.

When I was done, she took my bowl and stuck both in the sink. "I've got homework to do." She made a face. Homework?? In the summer? Vanessa saw my confusion and quickly explained. "My parents were really smart. Mom likes to push me to learn as much as I can. I go with it. I learn some pretty neat stuff." I nodded. "See you later."

She walked away. I sat for a moment, than got up to where Bella was sitting across from Alice, still playing the umpteenth round of checkers.

"I'm Bella. That's Alice." Bella said. I was getting a little bored with this routine, but if it made them happy, I would go with it. "I'm sorry about last night. I said some things that upset you. I didn't know it would hurt you like that. Do you think you can forgive me?" I hesitated. Alice had a notebook handy and passed it to me. I stared at her. She shrugged innocently.

**What happened?** Bella hesitated. Alice answered for her.

"You collapsed. You had us scared for a while. You were out in the hallway. We think you were sleepwalking." That wasn't right. I've never sleepwalked. But that's why I was so sore this morning.

**Ok. I'm ok. It's ok.** Bella smiled shyly. "If there's ever anything I can do to help you out, Cath., don't worry. I just want to make it up to you." I nodded and left.

I slowly made my way over to where someone was still playing the piano. It was Edward. I watched as his fingers flew over the keys in a beautiful melody.

"My name is Edward. Welcome to our family." He said quietly. I rolled my eyes behind him. This was getting silly. Yet, he sounded more withdrawn, more polite. This was all too weird for me. Edward chuckled softly.

"I realize how silly this is. I just don't want Alice angry with me. I have a gift for you. Sit if you want." I stayed standing up. He took a deep breath, placed his fingers on the keyboard, and started to play.

I recognized some of the parts from other songs. The songs he created for the rest of his family. It was soft. It had a loud low part, a soft high part. In between there was a simple tune. It was beautiful.

"It's your song. Your silent song. Someday, I'll make a new one for you. I think this one fits nicely for now, though, right?" I nodded slowly, eyes closed, calm for once in a long while. A smile slowly stretched across my face.

A small sound registered in my trancelike state. "I'm sorry." I knew instantly that it was Edward. I looked over at him. His eyes were closed, and his forehead was creased with worry. I ached to write three simple words. I forgive you. But I couldn't.

"You don't have to forgive me. If I were you I wouldn't forgive me. I just want you to know. I'm sorry." I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. The song ended abruptly, and I knew Edward was staring at me.

I made up my mind. I took a notebook off the piano, and glanced around for a pencil. Edward set one on the piano, and I took it quickly. I wrote two words, closed the notebook, and ran. Two words. It wasn't forgiveness, but it was a start.

I heard his voice as I ran up the stairs. "Thank you. I will. Thank you."

Edward's POV

Two little words. It wasn't forgiveness, but I knew it was the best she could do. Two little words. Two little words, in her careful, faint handwriting.

**Teach me.**

**Ok, you originally weren't supposed to get the Eddie's POV at the end, but I changed my mind. Just for the record, she wants to learn to play piano. Just for those who didn't get it... :)  
I referenced three things in this chapter: A Linkin Park song, A fanfiction on my Favorites, and one of my favorite books (well, one of my favorite series) I put them in the order they're found, and there's 1 per POV. Winner gets to ask me a few questions about the story and I'll answer them if it doesn't give too much away! :)**

**Happy Holidays... CocoaCullen :)**

**P.S. Review, Poll, ect. Oh, and does anyone know someone that will beta for the Ranger's Apprentice series? I had a oneshot idea for that yesterday....**


	16. Bonding

**Ahhh!!! 99 Reviews!! I love you guys!! **

Emmett's POV

Things went back to what could be seen as normal around here. Jasper was my video-game buddy again, Alice and Rosalie went shopping, and Edward and Bella did- well, let's not get into what Bella and Edward did.

I guess I'm just being shallow. We all knew that things had changed. Everyone was pretending everything was all fine and dandy, but there was a dark undertone to everything that we did. Except- she was happier.

Sure, at first glance you wouldn't be able to tell. She never got closer than ten feet to me, and there was never a smile on her face. But, Jasper wasn't walking around like someone was holding a gun to his head anymore. Alice wasn't looking in her visions for a suicide attempt. And Catherine was allowing Edward to be near her again.

I didn't like it. He _hurt her._ I could accept that she wouldn't be near me. I hated it, but I would accept it. But, Edward goes all 'la-di-da' on the piano, and she's his buddy again.

This was one of the things that I absolutely _hated_ about myself. I was always insanely jealous of things I couldn't have. I had my strength, but in this case it was one of the things that annoyed me. She wouldn't let me near her, when all I wanted to do was talk to her. It made me so mad that a man could hurt her so bad she would no longer be near tough-looking guys. I sighed. I wouldn't consider myself a monster, as Edward often used to say, but I would call myself a demon. Someone who didn't deserve everything he had that was good.

Rosalie blew softly into my ear. I whirled around and kissed her, anxious to get these traitorous thoughts out of my head. We stayed like that for a moment or two, until Rosalie broke free and slapped me lightly on the cheek.

"If you wanted to talk, you didn't have to do _that_." She said irritably, but I knew she was secretly amused.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking-" I cut off there and winced. Now I'd done it.

"Emmett, thinking! Someone write down the date and time! This is a historic moment, people!" Edward muttered under his breath. Alice snorted. I sighed. I had opened myself up for that one.

"You were just _thinking…_" Rosalie prompted, a stubborn look on my face. The look that said I wasn't going to get out of this. I looked up and blew a lock of hair out of my eyes. It flopped back down a second later. I bit my lip and gazed at Rosalie through half-closed eyes. She smiled, than swatted me across the head.

"Out with it!" She scolded playfully.

"I want her not to be afraid of me," I blurted out in a rush. "I want to be near her without her freaking out." She gazed at me. I ducked my head and closed my eyes. This was embarrassing.

An arm was draped around my shoulder. I looked up, and Rosalie's face was just inches away from mine.

"Give her time." My angel said simply. "A couple more days, to get used to us." I sighed again.

"It's weird, hiding in our own house." I drummed my fingers on my knee. _Thumpity-thumpity-twhip-thwip-thwip. Diddlit-diddlit. _A smooth pale finger rested on the back of my hand. The smallest pressure, the barest hint of sound in my ear.

"Let's go." A whisper that had hints of the most perfect sound. A voice of angels. A voice that mind the spot where my heart would be go thump-thump-thump with excitement. "Let's go to a place where we don't have to hide." I twisted and pulled her onto my lap.

She giggled and kissed me. Her fingers twisted into my curly hair, and I smiled. I broke off and stood up, Rosalie twirling gracefully so we were face to face.

"Carlisle? We'll be back in a bit, 'kay?" She called, her glowing eyes never leaving my face. We walked slowly to the door. I paused in the doorway, leaning on the wooden frame.

"Have I ever told you I love you, angel?" I drawled in my long-forgotten accent. It was the beginning of a familiar dialogue between the two of us.

She pecked me on the cheek once more. "Oh, maybe once or twice," she replied casually, before shoving me and racing out the door. I laughed for the first time in forever and darted after her. We ran, the world becoming a blur around us.

We hit the trees within seconds. I leaped the river and our race went on. While she was still flying through the air behind me, I allowed myself one last look at our house.

Somewhere, in that beautiful house, a human girl was- sleeping? Eating? Reading? – whatever she was doing, she was existing? And maybe, just maybe she could be happy. If she was happy, that would be enough for me.

Than Rosalie hit the ground running, and I sped after her. We were an angel and a demon; untouchable by time, racing away to freedom.

Carlisle's POV

It was midnight. I smiled to myself. Midnight was one of my favorite times. It was always beautiful outside, and it was the time when my family seemed most alive.

I looked up from the laptop. The light was on as a pretense; if the house wasn't home to a human girl I never would have wasted the electricity. Renesmee and Catherine were sleeping, while the rest of the family gathered in the living room.

Edward was playing softly on the piano, while Alice, Jasper, Bella, and Emmett danced. Rosalie was sat on the stairs, keeping her constant vigil of the younger girls.

The moon was full, and the glow sent our skins sparkling softly. Esme flitted around, taking pictures by the moonlight. It seemed like a ball, back when they had such things. A ball where true love was found. A ball where people lived happily ever after.

I closed the laptop and flicked off the light. I ghosted over to sit next to Rosalie.

"She'll be fine." I murmured softly. "Dance. Have fun," I urged. She gazed up at me.

"It's so easy, to think of her as a-" She stopped. _A daughter_, I finished.

"You know you can't be that for her." I reminded her gently. "Do you think you can settle for being her sister?" Rosalie shrugged.

"Go dance. She'll be fine for the night." Rosalie stood up slowly, and walked slowly over to where Emmett and Bella were dancing. She tapped Bella's shoulder hesitantly. Bella turned, smiled at Rosalie, and surrendered Emmett to his wife.

Emmett grinned as Rosalie took Bella's place in his arms, and the two whirled around the room, paying no attention to the music.

Bella sat down on the piano bench next to Edward. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, continuing to play the current song at the same time. As the song drifted towards its end, I moved through the room to tap Edward on the shoulder.

"Go ahead. I'll take over." I whispered theatrically. He nodded, still smiling at Bella, and stood up smoothly. Bella put her hand in his and they started to dance slowly in circles.

I sat down at the piano. Truth be told, I was a little nervous. I hadn't played in ages. I closed my eyes, and began to play.

It was an old song, a meandering lullaby. I recognized it as a song from my youth, back when I was just a human boy. 'Ode to Greensleeves'. A classic.

I let my thoughts drift as the music flowed through my fingers. All things considered, it was oddly peaceful. All who could sleep were doing so, and the girl was alright.

The girl. The child. Catherine. My thoughts always circled back to her. In all fairness, she was something drastically different from the normal life of our kind.

She didn't eat much. This worried me a bit. Logically, she should be eating more, considering how small and malnourished she appeared. I marked that down to the fact that she wasn't quite comfortable, and the fact that we never ate together confused her.

It was interesting, watching her and Edward at the piano. She was a natural, like Edward. Over on the 'dance floor', Edward ducked his head at my praise.

As he whirled by me, he muttered, "Not true, Carlisle. Practice." _Edward. You're a natural. You're the best musician I know._ I admonished through my thoughts. As he rolled his eyes and tried to keep back a smile, I returned to my thoughts.

Edward had immediately given up on teaching her the basics. She seemed to know most of the notes, and could play several simple songs.

Instead, she watched as Edward explained a technique, than proceeded to play. Her fingers were hesitant on the keys, but her playing was sure.

Catherine would wake up early in the morning. That is, she would seem to be awake. After the incident a few days ago, we have no idea if she's actually sleeping or not. She's always down the stairs and at the piano by nine. Around 10:30 they normally stop for brunch. We all excuse ourselves, or bustle around beforehand to make it seem like we've eaten.

Catherine's afternoons were spent mostly with one of the children. She wouldn't join one of the groups they seemed to form; she would catch one that was singled out. With Edward the two would talk about music, with Alice she would just sit while Alice babbled on about something or another. With Jasper she would simply pass notes back and forth while he tried to let her feel happy. When Rosalie was near, she would hold perfectly still while Rosalie brushed her tangled hair. Bella would play checkers or card games with her, and on occasion got beat on accident.

She never went near Emmett. If this annoyed him, he was a good sport about it, and never pushed his luck.

Around two, no matter what she was doing, Catherine would go and sit at the piano. This was her time to play. Edward would leave her alone for an hour or so, than they would play together for a little while. Catherine would leave and then Edward would play for a while. We would ignore it, most of the time. Sometimes one or two of us would sit and listen, but it became background noise, after a while.

When Catherine would play by herself, she would always bring her little notebook down. She would pick out beautiful melodies, and match them to specific lyrics in her notebook.

Later, when she and Edward played for the last time each night, she would play her melody for Edward. He would remember it, and play a full song, with bass and harmonies weaved in. If something didn't seem right, she would shake her head, and play a note. He would go off that, and try something different. On rare times, when Edward couldn't figure out what to try, she motioned him to play, than played the perfect counter-melody, once again demonstrating her abilities.

I looked up. Nothing had changed. My family was still dancing, I was still playing, and Esme was smiling absent-mindedly. The partners had changed, I noticed as Edward and Rosalie spun by. Alice twirled into Emmett's grasp, and Bella stepped side to side in Jasper's arms. As the song ended, the pairs broke apart. Edward and Jasper returned to their respective mates, while Emmett gallantly held his hand out to Esme.

To my surprise, the music that I played wasn't lively. It wasn't a dance, or a love song, or anything of the sort. It was a song that reflected all that our family had been through together, tied up into one.

I recognized hints of Clare De' Lune, reminiscent of Edward and Bella, a Confederate march- Jasper. An old mountain song-Emmett. A dainty little lullaby, and an old song dating from the Great Depression- Alice and Rosalie, respectively. 'Ode to Greensleeve's, once more, and one of Esme's favorite classical songs. Everything was all weaved together into an intricate melody, both happy and sad. With a start, I realized that I recognized it. It was a musical telling of all of our stories, and the story of us becoming a family.

It was Catherine's song.

Catherine's POV

They were awake. Than again, so was I. I didn't sleep all that much, but they don't need to know that.

I'd been awake for the past hour. None of them were in their rooms. I was wide awake. And I was _hungry_.

I opened my door and peered out for the forty-second time. No one there. For only the second time, I slid out the door and padded down the hallway.

I tiptoed down the stairs and stopped. Vanessa was sitting on the top step of the next flight, staring down at the floor below. I turned to go back up, but the stair creaked silently. Vanessa turned as I scowled down at the stairs. _Traitor_. I thought as I turned guiltily to stare at Vanessa. She put a finger to her lips, then shook her head. Duh.

She motioned me forward. I hesitated, then lunged down the hallway to the set of stairs. There they were.

The father was playing the piano. The rest were all dancing. I faintly recognized the current song as a classical one, but Vanessa was humming right along. I stared questioningly at her.

"Classical nuts" she mouthed, than pointed in the vague direction of one of the swirling couples. I nodded.

Suddenly, Vanessa got a wicked look on her face. "Want to scare the be-jeebies out of them with me?" she whispered in my ear. I considered for a moment. I held up one finger. "One? Edward? Bella?" I shook my head. "I'll just keep going through. Alice?" I shook my head. "Jasper? Rosalie? Emmett?" I pointed at her and smiled. She nodded. "Good choice."

We tiptoed down the stairs. Rosalie, who was sitting on the stairs watching Emmett and the mother dance, opened her mouth to say something, but Vanessa pressed a hand to her mouth. Rosalie's face went blank for a moment, and than she grinned. When Vanessa took her hand away, she mouthed, "Emmett?" and we nodded. She nodded in understanding.

She beckoned us closer. We crouched by her feet and waited. Emmett and his girl had just passed, so we watched the others dance. Edward winked at us and Bella blew Vanessa a kiss as they spun by. Alice and Jasper smiled at us as they did some elaborate spin-jump-dip thing. Esme gave a tiny nod of acknowledgment and maneuvered so Emmett's back would be to us.

I counted in my head, and heard Vanessa prepare to spring. _3,2,1, Go!_ I leaped, not knowing yet what exactly I was going to do.

At the very last second, I blinked, and it was like two images superimposed over one another. The sturdy build of the man in front of me became no less muscular, but leaner. Red-brown curls became pitch black. I finally recognized something that I had been hiding from myself all along.

Emmett looked like a younger, happier version of my father.

In that moment, I adjusted so I would land with my arms wrapped around his neck. It was just like what had happened before. Back to the times when I was so happy. I closed my eyes and hoped that I wasn't making a mistake that would hurt us all.

As I landed, I pictured my dad. I landed with a _thwumph_, and my arms clung to Emmett's shirt. I hoped desperately that the music wouldn't stop, and everyone would turn and stare at me.

But, of course, it happened. Emmett stiffened, and than Vanessa leaped in front of him. "Boo!" She cried, giggling. "Nice tackle, Catherine."

Emmett turned to look at me. Our eyes met, and suddenly all I could see was Daddy. The next thing I knew, I buried my head in Emmett's back and sobbed.

"Hey, hey. It's okay." Emmett sounded uncertain. He made a move to peel me off, and I clung even harder to his neck. He pulled me gently around so I was cradled in his arms.

He sat down in a chair, and I sobbed for a little while longer. At one point, someone placed a notebook in my hands, and I wrote Daddy. Daddy. Daddy. for a moment or two.

"Amazing," came a murmured whisper. "That she could do a full 180 just like that- but on what grounds?" Than that voice went away, probably to do some more speculating.

After I stopped crying, a plate of food was forced upon me, and I ate as the others drifted back to their rooms for the night. Before long, it was only Emmett, Edward, and I.

"Ed." Emmett spoke for the long time in a while. He nodded back in the direction of the piano, and Edward stood up. A moment or two later, the sounds of a lullaby drifted.

"May I have this dance?" Emmett asked gently. I offered him a weary smile and nodded.

He stood up and we walked over by the piano. I stepped on his feet, and we were off.

I pressed my face to his chest as we danced, and let the melody take me home. Before long, the song was over, and I stepped off.

"I'm going up to bed. You coming?" Emmett asked. I held up a finger and he nodded.

I'll check on you in a bit, okay?" I nodded again, and he walked slowly up the stairs.

At that exact moment, the clouds parted, and the moon shone through the windows. I hesitated, but the glow pulled me forward. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped into the moonlight.

Emmett's POV

She was amazing. She was beautiful. I gazed down at her. Catherine trusted me. She made it seem like I was no longer a demon, but maybe, just maybe, a guardian angel.

Her light figure spun to the silent music of the night. The light seemed to make her glow. I stopped on the steps to watch for just a moment longer.

Catherine. A mystery. She's family. She's human. And she dances in the moonlight.

**K, two quick things. 1. Plot twist anyone?? If that didn't give you any foreshadowing, nothing will. Kudos to the first person who figures it out. 2. The title of the sequel is stuck in here somewhere.... :)**

**Review.... :)**

**CocoaCullen**


	17. Discoveries

**Meh. Not in the mood to yammer on today. All I'm going to say is that this chapter is semi-important.**

Catherine's POV

I woke up in a daze. I had had the weirdest dream. I dreamt that Vanessa and I snuck up on the rest of her family, and Emmett looked like Daddy, and I cried, and then I danced. It was a whirl of sadness and hope, lit by the light from the full moon.

I stretched and opened my eyes. A burly figure was blocking my doorway. Light from the lamp shone into his face. Emmett. I found that a smile was tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"Hey." Emmett said. He hesitated, and then sat down on the corner of my bed. "You still tired?" I shook my head. "You sure? You were wide awake at one last night." I shook my head again. "It's only seven-thirty. Normally _I'm_ still asleep at this point!" Seven thirty? It was _seven-thirty? _I hardly ever slept past six forty-five, and had never slept past seven. Not since- but no, I wouldn't think about that.

His voice dropped urgently. "If I were you, I would pretend you were still asleep. Alice wants to-" He looked up, and shrank back. "Gotta go. Good luck!" He glanced at me, face softening, than was gone.

I immediately lay back down. I closed my eyes and focused on taking steady breaths. In my own private mind, my thoughts raced. "Alice wants to-" Alice wants to _what?_ I felt a twinge of pity for the pixie-like girl. She was probably going to try to do something nice for me, but knowing me, I wouldn't be happy.

I heard soft footsteps going up the stairs and down the halls. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, and braced myself. The door creaked open and a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Catherine? Cathy, you awake? Come on, come on, wake up!" There was a thrumming sound that I can only assume was Alice's foot tapping at hyperspeed.

I sighed and rolled over. Alice apparently took that as a signal to continue, speaking so fast I was amazed she didn't pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Look, I really really want to take you out with me. It's a kind of 'welcome to the family' Alice style!" Her voice began to rise. "Please? I know you're tired, with all that happened last night, and I don't think you really like me, but it's really important! Please please please wake up! We need to get going!"

I opened my eyes and stared at her. Alice was barely an inch away from my face. I pulled the covers over my head and rolled over.

"Emmett got here first, didn't he." It wasn't a question. "He's just a stick-in-the-mud because I always take him to the lamest stores. Come on. It'll be fun!" I couldn't take it.

I threw the covers back and crawled out of bed. "Yes! Thank you thank you _thank you! _I'll let you get ready. Be downstairs in five minutes, okay? Okay!" And she was gone.

I blinked. Did I really just agree to go _shopping??_ I really must be losing it, I told myself as I threw on some clothes and headed downstairs.

Alice's POV

Catherine insisted that Emmett come with. I wasn't all that thrilled. However, Emmett didn't really care about the 'horrors of shopping', as Edward so deftly put it. He was still on a Catherine-likes-me high.

I hated driving slow. Yet here I was, driving at barely a quarter of the speed that my Porsche could go. I could _run_ faster than this. Heck, so could Emmett. But still. Humans don't really like going all that fast. It annoys me a bit. Good thing I couldn't remember that.

I drove around a bit, looking for the best mall in the area. I finally decided on the Port Angeles mall. It wasn't the greatest, but it would work for my purposes.

I cornered Emmett in the parking lot. Catherine was still getting out of the car.

"Look, she's probably going to figure it out _today_. If it doesn't all come together like it's supposed to, we know it'll happen sooner rather than later. If she gets freaked out," I hesitated. "If she gets freaked out, call Carlisle. He'll know what to do." He nodded, than chuckled.

"Did we get this elaborate in our plans when Bella started hanging around?" He wondered aloud, still chuckling.

"This is different, and you know it!" I scolded, but I was giggling too. Catherine climbed out of the car, and I gave her a quick smile.

"Let's go look at some clothes. Just for a little while. I need a new jacket to match these shoes. Than we can go look in the bookstore. Bella wanted me to get her a new book." A new book. I crack myself up.

Catherine looked at me. I looked at her. Emmett looked back and forth between the two of us, waiting for someone to make a move.

With a sigh, Catherine started walking into the nearest clothes store. I sighed and followed after her. Obviously I had another Bella on my hands. I waved Emmett off. He drifted over to the area where I knew the arcade was. Boys.

As Catherine drifted through the store aimlessly, I collapsed in a chair. While she passed a hand over a shirt or a pair of pants, I tried to focus in on the events that were _probably_ most likely to happen.

There were so many variables in this problem. What if I was with her when she found the book? What if there was someone else there? What if Emmett was there? What if- dare I say it- a _dog_ was there and I couldn't see what would happen next? If it could have been, my head would be throbbing. As it was, seeing Jacob in yet another vision had thrown my visions out of whack. This stunk.

Finally, I got the vision I had been waiting for. I smiled in relief, my forehead smoothing, and my eyes opening to Catherine standing over by the dressing room door.

As she closed herself in, I whipped open my phone. It's happening. Twenty minutes or so. Be prepared. _Click. Sent. _I flipped the phone closed as Catherine stepped out.

She looked gorgeous. Red shirt, blue jeans, and a smile on her face that sparkled in the light. We bought it on the spot, along with a few pairs of shoes for me.

As we left the store, Catherine turned to stand in front of me. I stopped immediately. Her hands were trembling, and her heart was racing. The look on her face was one of determination- and fear.

Slowly, she put her hands out and pantomimed reading. I grinned.

"That's where we're going, Cath. No worries. Should we drag Emmett over, too?" She would say yes. At least, she would say yes as of five minutes ago. A nod. Yes!

I stepped carefully around her and continued walking in the direction of the bookstore. As I walked I flipped open my phone and hit the fourth speed dial. Emmett picked up before the first ring. I got the distinct impression that he had been sitting somewhere staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring.

"Yeah?" His voice was gruff, but I could catch the nervous anticipation in his voice.

"Catherine wants you to meet us at the bookstore. You coming?" He'd say yes. She had him wrapped around her little finger.

"I'll be there before you get there." I heard him stand up, and begin to jog at a human pace. I was right! He had totally been just sitting there waiting around.

"Bye than." I closed the phone. "He'll meet us there." I called over my shoulder.

We entered the bookstore five minutes later. Emmett was pacing by the front door. He acknowledged me with a nod, and smiled at Catherine as he opened the door.

As Catherine walked toward the back, I put a hand on Emmett's chest. He stopped obediently.

"Go back there in ten minutes or so." I whispered softly. He nodded and walked off in search of something interesting to read. I stared after Catherine, and trotted over to a bookshelf to skim a book called The Hunger Games. **(Quick note: Best Book Ever. At least of the week. carry on.)** _Five minutes… five minutes_... I chanted in my head.

This was it. This was the moment that Catherine would officially, for better or for worse, become a Cullen.

Catherine's POV

I hate shopping.

I honestly do. I just don't understand how some people can spend hours every day trying on clothes. I mean, clothes are good and all; it would be kind of awkward if no one had invented clothes, but it seemed dumb to me.

Shopping for _books,_ though, that was a different matter. I loved looking in bookstores for a new book. I hadn't been in a bookstore in ages. The books stood in rows on the shelves, beckoning me. I spun in a circle, taking everything in.

There was a new book in the series I used to be into, so I started to make my way over to that. As I reached out to grab it, a different book caught my eye. It had a solid black cover, with a picture of two outstretched hands holding an apple. Twilight.

The image seemed familiar to me. I wondered if I had read it before. I considered, than dismissed the thought. If I had, I probably didn't finish it. The book looked relatively new, so I might have read it at one of the old houses.

I picked it up and began to skim it.

It was about a girl named Bella. Funny. Wasn't the girl at our house Bella? As a matter of fact, Edward's name is here too. They both live in Forks. Forks. The Cullens live in Forks.

Edward Cullen in the book lives in Forks. The Edward Cullen I know plays the piano and is very proper and lives in Forks.

I remembered this book now. This was the book about vampires.

All of a sudden, I knew. I knew, but my mind wouldn't accept it instantly. As the past few weeks replayed themselves in my head, things suddenly made sense.

The Cullens were vampires. **(This close to ending it there. You're lucky I had more to blabber on about ;)**

I turned to see Alice behind me, standing a few feet back. She had a wry grin across her face. She nodded slowly. I held up a hand. This was a bit much to take in.

Alice's face fell as I stepped backward and sank into a chair. She knew this would happen. She just didn't know how I would react. Alice could see the future. I remembered that much.

"Catherine? You okay?" Alice took a step forward. Emmett appeared at the other end of the narrow hallway the shelves made. When he saw me his face darkened, than smoothed when he saw my smile.

"Here. This is way faster." Alice passed me her phone. It was open to the texting section. I stared at her dubiously. She shrugged. Behind her, Emmett rolled his eyes. She reached back and slapped him. I snorted.

I turned my attention to the phone. It was one with a touchscreen. I turned the phone sideways and began to type. You're vampires.

"Yes." Alice said when I passed the phone back. "You never finished reading it, did you?" She motioned to the book still on my lap. No. I know about you tho. "You're safe with us. You know that right?" Her voice was fearful now. "You won't tell? Catherine, we won't hurt you. You're safe forever now. Do you believe us?" I had passed her the phone before she was done talking. I'm not afraid. Not of u.

Alice relaxed. "Ok. We can deal with that. Ready to go?" She glided away from me to grab three more books. I looked at the covers. New Moon. Eclipse. Breaking Dawn. All part of the Twilight Saga.

A thought struck me. I reached for the phone once more. Wait. Which 1 of u is SM?? Alice didn't even have to read it. "Bella." She and Emmett chorused. _Oh._ That made sense.

We drove home in silence. I waited to read the books until I was at home. While we were driving, Alice and Emmett tried to fill up the silence with pointless chatter, but I ignored them. I was getting ready to meet the Cullens. For real this time.

Emmett's POV

It was interesting, watching Catherine read Bella's books. She grew closer to every single one of us, bit by bit. Everything else was put on hold so we could watch her discover us. Everyone was gathered in the living room; even Jacob and Nessie came in to join the fun.

Bella especially became her best friend. They sat next to each other in our circle, with me on Catherine's other side.

It seemed slow, but eventually she got to the part where Edward stopped the car in Twilight. Cathy stared at Edward in awe. I smirked.

"That's nothing, girl. Check this out." I paused, to gain the attention of everyone, than lifted the couch with Alice, Jasper, and Edward perched on it over my head. Jasper's head scraped the ceiling. Bella giggled, and Edward shook his head.

"You win this one, Em. Now put us down." I sighed but relented, and the reading continued.

It was the Port Angeles chapter that really shook things up. When Edward confessed he could read minds, but not Bella's, Catherine looked up, fear on her face. Edward guessed before anyone had to say anything.

"You're a bit like Bella. Sometimes I can read your mind, but it's like you have this shield you can put up. I can only read your mind if you let me." He assured her. She thought about this for a second. Than Edward gasped. "Well, that'll make things easier." He muttered under his breath.

"You can get her?" Bella asked. She sounded a little hurt. It figured. A second person with a shield in our family, and the human's is already more powerful than hers.

"Yes. We can make it work." Edward said, with a pleased smile on her face. Catherine grinned.

With all that taken care of, we continued. The last part she read of the day was the beginning of the meadow scene. Just as she read that part, the setting sun shot rays into the windows. We were just outside of its reach.

Catherine motioned to us. She wanted to see. I couldn't judge her for it. It _was_ pretty impressive. I stood up and held a hand to Rosalie. She placed her hand in mine, and we walked into the sun.

Glimmers of light shot through the room. Catherine gasped quietly at our glowing figures. I took my free hand and waved her nearer. She got up smoothly and twirled into the sunlight. She looked happier than she had since she had come into our lives. I smiled down at her, and I knew Rosalie was doing the same next to me. And then we stopped, our smiles plastered on our faces, our minds racing at what we saw.

"Did you see?" She hissed at me. I nodded quickly. My eyes flew to the rest of the family, still in the living room. Carlisle was already gone, upstairs to go through his research. Alice was shaking her head. She had _not_ seen this. The rest of the family simply stared on in confusion.

It wasn't possible. Yet it had happened, right before our eyes. As Catherine spun by, her hair had flown up. And on the back of her neck, there was a tiny glimmer. A glimmer of light reflected off of a tiny, silver, crescent scar.

Nessie's POV

Around the part before the meadow scene, Jake tapped me on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go." He whispered in my ear. He had a pained expression on his face. He had long gotten over my mom, but it was probably still awkward to listen to her and Dad's kisses, their memories, their happiness. I could definitely get where he was coming from. I had heard _all_ the stories.

I followed him out the door. Nobody really noticed. They were all engrossed in the story. I couldn't blame them. It was funny to hear your family's life in print, especially ours.

Jacob led me off a different path than the one we normally took. He veered right instead of going left, through a forest-covered trail. We picked our way through easily, and kept up a steady stream of conversation throughout.

Jacob seemed nervous, upset about something or other. He chatted on about Jared's wedding for a while, and how Sam and Emily were expecting their first child. I listened patiently to the news of the pack. Seth still came to visit often, and Claire was one of my best friends, but the pack and my family had drifted apart after the Volturi encounter.

We continued through the forest. I glanced around every so often as we walked. I had never been up this way before. Don't get me wrong: it was beautiful, and I liked it, it was just different.

At last we reached a small clearing. Night had fallen, and the moon lit the meadow, covering it in a soft glow. Jacob turned to me.

"Ness, there's something I want to talk about." He sounded serious. That was almost worse than the constant blathering. I spotted something out of the corner of my eyes and bent to pick it up.

"Look!" I exclaimed, forcing as much cheer into my voice as I could. We both stared down at the things in my hand. Dandelions. It figured. My heart sank. "Dandelions. Cool, huh?" My voice had lost its cheer.

Jake wasn't impressed. "Ness. We need to talk." He sat down in the grass. I sighed and sat down next to him.

"What?" I asked impatiently. I didn't like the way this was heading. Whenever Jake starts acting serious, you know it's not good.

"This isn't a bad thing, all right? This is a very very good thing." Jake had apparently read the look on my face. "You know how Quil and Claire are? How Sam and Emily are? How Jared and Kim are?" I thought of several answers to give him. _In love? Best friends? Imprinted? _I chose the third. It was probably what he was looking for.

"They're imprinted on each other." I parroted. I suddenly connected what he was saying. _This is very very good. They're imprinted…_ "You've imprinted on someone, haven't you?" I asked in horror. This was bad bad bad.

God, this was embarrassing, but I _liked _Jake. I have ever since he first started hanging around. Now he was going off to fall in love with someone and marry them and have kids and I would never see him again and he wouldn't care because he'd be in love and-

"Nessie! Calm down!" My shock must have spread to my face. Jake was _laughing_. My hands curled into fists.

"What's so funny, _dog?_" I snarled. Jake put up his hands, still trying to suppress his chortles.

"Nothing. Nothing, it's nothing. Sorry. You just looked so funny for a second." Now he was serious again. "You're right. I've imprinted. I've imprinted on the most amazing girl ever. You'd love her. She's smart and funny and beautiful and strong. She has brown eyes, and she's amazingly fast, and I've known her for her whole life."

I had hung my head. As he continued to describe the girl, I looked up and stared at him. More and more of the things he said sounded like they described _me._

"And she has the most amazing talent, and her father used to _hate _me, and her mother _almost_ killed me when I told her, and-" He was starting to laugh now. I couldn't take it any more.

"You imprinted on me." my voice was calm. Jake grinned at me.

"Yes. Nessie, I imprinted on you the day you were born. I love you." He breathed, leaning into my shoulder. I shifted so he was staring me in the face. I leaned in, tilted my head, and-

Slapped him across the face. **(Sound familiar?)**

Jake's head whipped back. I was already up and pacing. As I stormed past him, he glared at me, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"God, what _is_ it with girls hitting me in the face when I tell them I love them?" He muttered under his breath. Despite myself I grinned. I remembered that story, too.

I soon remembered why I was mad. I whirled around to face him. "God, Jake. You don't just spring something like that on a girl! I'm a _vampire, _Jake, you're a _werewolf._ I'm going to live forever and you're going to die, and you're so _stupid!_ I don't even get any say in it? You're just going to love me forever and I'm going to love you back but I _can't _right now, Jake! I can't because I love you and you love me and I'm so happy but I'm sad and mad and I'm _scared._" I was crying softly.

Jake wrapped his arms around me. I buried my head in his warm muscled chest. "It's okay, honey. It's okay. I'm scared too. It's okay. I'm sorry." He rocked me back and forth until my tears stopped.

Once I was calm, he pulled me back so he could see my face. "You're not ready yet. I understand that. I'll be here whenever you want." He said softly. I could hear that hurt in his voice. I couldn't let this end this way.

"I love you, Jake," I choked out. His smile made everything in this twisted world seem okay.

"That's all I needed to hear." He whispered. He leaned in and I closed my eyes.

I felt his warm face as he kissed me on the cheek. It was over in an instant. We sat back down in the grass next to each other. We sat in silence, gazing at the stars.

**K, what'd you think? When we get to 120 reviews, OR when my beta (who rocks, by the way) gets it read, I will be posting the next chapter of Coven. And later this weekend, I'll be putting up the (kinda) sequel to Breaking the Bed!**

**It's called Moments with Esme; it's going to have little funny moments with all the Cullen 'kids'. I will put it after Breaking The Bed, so there will be a title change. It's still the same story, just with more oneshots.**

**CocoaCullen**


	18. The Twilight Saga

**Okay, just for the record, this next chapter was unbeta'd. My beta has gone M.I.A (and for those who watched the Grammys, wasn't she bizarre? The rapper chick?) so I just thought I'd get this out over this VERY long weekend. Oh, and by the way, no worries, williammoseleygirl!**

**Oh, and also: This chapter is 98 percent fluff. Don't hate me for it!**

Emmett's POV

It was interesting, reading those books. I liked hearing about myself in print. Even though it was mostly Bella's point of view, I always managed to pop up at one point or another. And yes, I do know I'm being shallow.

All activities that didn't' involve the books were suspended. The only breaks taken were to hunt, or in Catherine's case, eat. Oh, yeah; Carlisle spent much of his time attempting to figure out what exactly was in Catherine's past.

Catherine was a completely different person. She was constantly by me. I have to admit that I loved it. She had gone from being terrified to being absolutely _happy_ in just a few days.

I'm getting off topic yet again. Catherine rocks, I love Rosalie, now that everything has been reestablished, on with what is affectionately called 'Bella's Sob Story With Edward (and all the other Amazing Cullens)' by, well, me.

Catherine was currently messing with Edward's head. You got to love the girls that shield. Of course, Bella was cranky because she had been kicked out of the position of the only shield in the house.

Edward would be doing something or other, while Catherine followed him around and tried to communicate. I have to admit, it could be _funny_!

Catherine's POV

I sat on the chair, staring at each of the Cullens. I thought random little things as I stared at each face staring back at me staring at them.

_And… can you hear me now?_ I thought as I stared at Jasper. I caught the glimmer of a crescent scar as he gave a brief smile.

"Yes. Keep going." Edward's tone was short, but I wasn't worried. He was just trying to figure everything out.

_And… now? I'm thinking about Twilight, and how awesome it is. Tell Bella she rocks as a writer._ I thought. His response was immediate.

"Bella, you rock as a writer!" There was dead silence for a split second, than Emmett roared with laughter. I could feel the couch shaking as he laughed. Edward paled and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Catherine thought that, not me!" He muttered. I smirked at him, and he glared. I could see the laughter in his eyes, though. I tilted my head at him and feigned innocence.

_How did you put it, again? I think I remember it. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but let's see… who am I, an insignificant little girl, to chase you from the place you want to be?_ I smirked as Edward glowered at me.

"Did she just quote you to you? From my book?" Bella asked, shaking her head. He nodded sulkily. Emmett roared with laughter beside me. Alice giggled a bit, and even Rosalie shook her head and smiled.

"Okay, try something else." Edward finally commanded, as the giggles subsided. I switched my gaze to Bella. _I'm glad you're the family that-_ _snap!_ And just like that, I could feel the shield snap back into place. I put my head in my hands.

"It's fine, Cath. You're doing much better than I was when I first learned about my shield. It was ages before I could even remove it enough to let Edward hear me." Bella's tone was gentle, but I could detect the slight jealousy in her voice. I slowly pulled the shield back from my mind again.

_I'm sorry._

"She's sorry." Edward murmured, and Bella shook her head at me.

"I'm sorry, Catherine. I've been acting like a big baby about this. It's not your fault." I looked away from her. Instead, I stared at Jasper again. _Edward, can you hear me now?_

"Yes." _And now?_ "Yes" I slowly shifted some of the walls that always had protected my mind from the world around me. _And… now?_ "It's fainter, but yes. Catherine, what are you doing?" I didn't bother answering him. I was having an epiphany.

I closed the walls around my mind, slowly, and voluntarily. _Now? _"Catherine? Did it close again?" So it did work! _Now? Now? Now?_ I thought rapidly, shoving walls aside and tearing apart the borders that had been a part of me for so long. "Yes, Yes! Okay, stop! I get it!" He was laughing. He had thrown his head back and _laughed!_ I smiled.

"Alright, now that that's settled, why don't we get back to the book?" Rosalie interrupted at last. "You should see what mess Bella gets into next!" Bella stuck her tongue out at Rosalie.

"Isn't it baseball time, now?" Emmett asked. Bella nodded, and he pumped his fist. "I love this part! I get to smash the ball!" He told me excitedly. I rolled my eyes at him. He really was such a child.

Esme's POV

It was so funny, watching the children crowd around Bella's books. It was fascinating watching Catherine interact with the rest of the family through the books.

The first part of the baseball scene went fine. Edward had tensed, as had Bella. But, each person continued to read their 'lines', or in many cases, simply talk as they had on that day, while Catherine followed along in the book.

When James' trio entered the field, Catherine slammed the book and threw it across the room. Edward winced; her shield had been thrown up mid-thought.

The book struck Carlisle in the back of the head and clattered to the floor. He turned around slowly, rubbing the spot where the book had hit. "Ow." I could tell he was only half-joking. Well, what can I say; those books were _long_.

Carlisle's comment eased the tension slightly. There were a few half-hearted giggles, but soon the room quieted.

"C-Catherine? It's going to turn out okay, you know that, right?" Bella finally broke the silence. Instead of answering, Catherine pulled herself into Emmett's arms. She was shaking, and her teeth were chattering.

"Hey, it's okay." Emmett cradled her in his arms uncertainly. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over the two.

"Jasper." I couldn't tell who said it, but within a few seconds the room was filled with an uneasy calm.

"You okay, Cath? We can stop reading if you want." Alice said carefully. Catherine shook her head and pulled herself out of Emmett's arms slowly. She held perfectly still for a moment, than darted to the place where the book had landed. Once the book was safely in her arms, she spun and flew into Emmett's arms.

"She's fine. She says we should keep going." Edward said slowly. "You sure?" He asked, than nodded to himself. "Alright. Emmett, I believe it's your line. Carry on."

Time passed achingly slow. The room was filled with tension. Catherine stayed curled up in Emmett's arms. As the action grew more intense, she continued to stiffen and became more and more still.

Bella was almost to the ballet studio scene when Catherine yawned for what seemed like the millionth time. She stopped, and we all stared at Catherine.

"It's late. You want to stop for the night?" I asked. Her eyes opened wide, and she shook her head, panicking. We could all see it in her eyes. Something it seemed we hadn't seen all day. Pure, unhidden fear.

"James isn't going to win. James is gone." Bella said carefully. "James can't hurt you. We aren't going to hurt you, either. It's-"

"She's got that, Bella." Edward said softly. "She won't be able to sleep- _ow-_ until she knows what happens-_ okay, already, Catherine_- just keep reading." With a shrug and a worried look at Catherine, Bella turned back to the book. I looked at Edward questioningly. "Shield" He mouthed. I nodded understanding.

She didn't have much control over the shield. She was trying, but she wouldn't have as much control as a human. At least, that was what we figured. We wouldn't change her unless she wanted to. It was doubtful that she would really join us, but we would give her the option if she wanted.

Catherine stayed rigid throughout the ballet scene and up until Bella was in the hospital. The moment Edward said that James was dead, she relaxed. Everyone noticed the change.

Jasper took advantage of the sudden calm and filled the room with a lethargic sense of peace. As Edward and Bella playfully reenacted their argument, Catherine slowly drifted toward sleep. Rosalie glanced at me. I lowered my head minutely. She took that as silent agreement.

Rosalie and Alice both suddenly had a whole new depth to their relationship with Catherine. Both Rosalie and Catherine had been hurt by a monster. That much was obvious. But somehow their connection went deeper. They both had so much pain that they hid from the rest of the world.

Alice's link was obvious. Their lives had both been dramatically altered by James. Who could have known that the existence of one person could so change our lives?

Edward's sidelong glance told me he was listening, and he agreed.

Catherine was nearly asleep when Bella finished reading Twilight. Emmett stood up smoothly and carried her to bed. A few moments later, he was back down and sitting in the exact same spot. None of us had moved.

"Well?" I asked finally. "Thoughts?"

"The second James's name was mentioned, all her shields went up. She could barely get them down to tell me to keep reading." Edward said slowly. I could tell from his expression he was analyzing every scrap of thought he had got from her.

"Same here." Jasper spoke up. "At the exact second, any calm that she was feeling, it vanished. Scared the-" I shot a look at him. He edited quickly. "Scared the daylights out of me."

"Esme?" Alice asked quietly. "If she knows James, does that mean-"

"No. No, it can't be that." Emmett interrupted. "We would have known, wouldn't we?" We all gazed at Bella. She stared at us staring at her, then looked down at her feet.

"I don't know. Should I know?" She mumbled to the floor. Edward reached over and put an arm around her.

"You don't have to know. We're just talking to ourselves out loud." Satisfied with that answer, the two cuddled up and began whispering quietly to each other.

Emmett reached across the couch for Rosalie, and Alice pulled herself into Jasper's lap. As each of my children smiled at their mate, I tiptoed out of the room.

I slipped up the stairs and down the hall. As I passed Catherine's room I paused. The door was open about an inch. Taking a step forward, I hesitated. But no, her even breathing told me she was asleep.

I peered into the room. There she was, curled up into a ball. Her brow was creased slightly, and there was a frown on her face, but she seemed better than she had been.

She shifted in her sleep, and I backed away quickly. I walked silently down the hallway and into Carlisle's study. He looked up and smiled as I walked into his room and sat on the desk.

"They finished Twilight?" He asked quietly. I nodded.

"You can take a break, you know. It can wait until morning." I suggested softly. He met my gaze, and sighed.

"Alright. Let me shut everything off." He muttered, mostly to himself. "And… got it. Want to go for a drive?" He asked. I nodded.

We walked slowly down the steps, enjoying the sensation of being together. A quick glance toward the living room told us that our children wouldn't need us anytime soon.

"Ready?" Carlisle asked me. I nodded.

"Let's go." He took my hand in his, and we ran out into the deep blue night.

Edward's POV

Day 2 of the 'Twilight Reading Experience', or as Emmett called it, 'Bella's Sob Story', went basically along the lines of this. Two chapters into New Moon, Catherine stopped responding. Oh sure, she would pass notes with Bella and Jasper and Emmett and Rosalie and Alice. Me? Not so much.

Hey, I guess I can understand. I hated myself than, too.  
I didn't stick around after the birthday party scene. Bella couldn't take it, either. She passed the book to Rosalie and fled out after me. We sat under the window and listened to Rosalie's voice floating out of the house.

Jacob wandered in around noon with Renesmee. I glared at him.

_Yeah… sorry 'bout that_… Jacob thought to me. I glowered at him until he moved inside, meeting my gaze the whole time.

"He told her?" Bella shrieked, still managing to whisper at the same time. I nodded. "Stupid _dog_ with his _stupid_ wolfy claim." She muttered under her breath. I chuckled.

"Very nice." I approved.

Catherine's POV

I didn't like New Moon. I felt horrible for them all.

When Bella went to her birthday party, Jasper gazed down at his feet. A few moments later, I found out why he was so upset. A small boatload of sadness penetrated the room. I closed my eyes.

"You okay?" Alice asked. I opened my eyes and nodded. I looked at Jasper. Looked at his scars, his eyes, his obvious shame. I reached for the cell phone Alice had so thoughtfully given me. A few neverending moments later, I had sent my first text of the day exactly five feet away.

**I'm sorry.** **It's not your fault, though.** Jasper sighed and ran a hand through his hair, something I had seen all the Cullen boys do. I had a stray thought; which one of them had started that habit? My phone buzzed, and I tapped the screen once.

It is my fault, Catherine. Wait. Why am I texting? I smiled, and than Jasper spoke.

"It was my fault. It's just who I am." He hung his head. Alice rolled her eyes as if to say 'oh, please.' I had the suspicion that they'd had this argument before.

**That's my point. It's who you are. It's in your instincts. You do an amazing job. Being around Bella, now me.** Emmett peered over my shoulder as I texted.

"Nice word usage." He exclaimed. I glared at him. His tone reminded me of the way he talked about humans in Twilight.

"I guess…I never really thought about it like that." Jasper said slowly.

"Great. Now that Jasper's happy and everything is at peace, can we get on with the story?" Rosalie asked sarcastically. I bit back a giggle.

The story continued. For the first time, I really met Jacob. At the part where he explained to Bella about what he had become, Jake himself walked into the room. He caught me staring at him in shock and grinned.

"You got to that part?" He asked, addressing the whole room. As one, they nodded. "Let me guess. You want me to show you." He asked me. I nodded without thinking about it. He grinned.

"I get that a lot." Without another word, he exploded out of his clothes. In his place stood a wolf about the size of a horse. I stared him.

"Cool, huh?" Emmett murmured from behind me. I nodded slowly. It was beyond cool. It was _awesome!_

"She thinks it's awesome, dog. Now get out of there before you break something!" Edward called from outside. Jake gave me a wolfish grin and trotted out of the house. I stared at the spot he had been for a moment longer, than shook my head.

"Carry on?" Alice asked gently. I nodded, and the reading continued.

Bella came back inside just in time for 'the cool part', as Emmett put it. She glared at him.

"Oh yeah, this part is great." she said sarcastically. She was right, in a way. The race to Italy had me wide-eyed, heart pounding. Belatedly, I realized the difficulty I must be giving everyone, and forced my heart to slow down.

When Bella was introduced to the Volturi, I froze. They wanted to kill Bella because she knew the secret. I was human. I knew the secret.

The Volturi would come after me.

Jasper's POV

I was waiting (somewhat impatiently) for New Moon to be done. I never liked New Moon. I hated reliving the emotions that rolled through our family as we remembered those bad times.

Have you ever been scared out of your wits? I mean, scared for your life scared? Multiply that by about forty-two, and you might have an idea how hard it was to sit still during New Moon.

Catherine's sudden rush of emotion startled me. She had been staying at a wary interest for a while. When the Volturi confronted Bella and Edward, though, she- to put it simply- freaked.

"Catherine? Catherine?" Alice cried. "What's wrong?" She cried. I put a hand up.

"She's scared. The Volturi." I hissed through my teeth. "Give me a minute." I closed my eyes and focused. "A little help, please, someone." I muttered. Emmett wrapped his arms around Catherine, but she shoved him away, panic clear in her eyes. I heard Bella's footsteps as she ran into the room, Edward hot on her heels.

"Catherine, honey. It's going to be fine. We won't let them find you. They tried to hurt Bella, and we wouldn't let them," Rosalie soothed.

"Believe me, Cath. They'll do anything to protect you. Believe me. I know." Bella said with a small grin on her face. I smiled a bit at that comment. It _was_ true. I used that little bit of happiness to calm down the room.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. She reached for the little silver phone that was always in her pocket nowadays.

**You promise?** Was her only question. "Yes. You're safe with us." I swore. With one last glance, Rosalie kept reading.

The next few days passed in a blur. When we read Eclipse, things went much more smoothly than they had for the first two books. The dog was once more present for much of the story. Edward fought to keep his cool, but he didn't like being reminded of the events of those months before graduation.

Jacob was pretty good-natured about it as well. He smiled at Bella, than settled down next to Nessie to hear the story.

That day was relatively uneventful. Emmett once again roared with laughter at the infamous 'Bella punches a werewolf' line, and soon the whole room was giggling. Other than that, Eclipse went quite smoothly.

Breaking Dawn, on the other hand, got a bit awkward. Nessie hadn't read Breaking Dawn before. We all figured that it was probably smart not to let her read it for a few reasons. First, well, the beginning would be just a bit awkward. Then there's the whole imprinting problem. However, from the looks that they were sharing across the living room, and the more-than-friendship emotions emanating from the two of them, I figured that that wouldn't be much of an issue anymore.

Both Nessie and Catherine were blushing for a good half of the book. The embarrassment I felt easily could have made me turn bright red when I was human.

Other than a few interesting moments, the last book in the series went smoothly. At the Volturi battle, Catherine tensed. Once Bella started shielding, though, she became more interested.

**Will I be able to do that?** She asked us. We all shrugged.

"I don't think your…gift will change. Not unless we change you. We won't do that to you though. Don't worry." Edward reassured her. Catherine tilted her head, but nodded.

And with that, we were done with the Twilight Saga. It was official: Catherine was one of us.

**I just love the stories where the Cullens read Twilight... they're always so funny! Okay, review and all. Oh: Nika, if you're reading this, check your email!! (If you have no idea who Nika is, don't pay any attention to that) Next chapter will get back to the plotline, and it's going to get intense! Can we maybe (please?) get to 140 reviews?? Oh: one more thing. Catherine's phone is a Behold (Samsung). Those phones ROCK!!**

**Cocoa :)**

**Oh!!! P.S. Who here reads JasperxBella? If you do, I might be publishing something y'all might like... let me know!**


	19. Fight or Flight

**First off: Sorry!! I've been busy with 9,000 other things. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. I've been busy with 8,992 other things... =D.  
Do I have anyone here from the sunny state of California?? Cuz that's where I'll be headed next week for SPRING BREAK!!!! Which is why I'm trying to get this, the new Coven chapter, and the new Moments With Esme chapter all finished, betad, and posted before Friday. Wish me luck!**

**Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to keep doing this at this point? You all know I'm not Stephenie Meyer. For one thing, I don't have a husband. Or kids. **

Rosalie's POV

The morning dawned clear and blue… then quickly clouded over. It began to pour, fitting my current mood exactly. I sighed, staring at the rain as I pulled a brush through my long golden hair. Emmett stood behind me, adjusting his collar while I finished up.

I stood up smoothly, turning to face Emmett in one continuous motion. I patted one last wrinkle into its proper place, then kissed my husband on the cheek.

"Love you." I whispered. His solemn face lit up, and he wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me closer.

"Same," he said, chuckling, as I hugged myself closer to him. We hadn't had any alone time in _days_, and I missed my boy. He leaned down to peck me on the nose, and I giggled.

"Do you ever regret it?" He asked with a grin. This was a common question in our relationship. He had pestered me with the question often when we were both 'younger', but the thought had come up less and less as time had gone by. Most of the time I replied 'Never', but this time I hesitated.

"What exactly am I regretting?" I asked lightly. We never seemed to exactly decide what I wasn't regretting, and today I was curious.

"Hmm… regretting changing me? No, covered that one. Regretting being super-vamp? I don't think we've been through this one in a while." His tone was equally light, but I could see the careful concern in his eyes.

"Emmett-" I began, but he pressed a finger to my lips. I gazed at him, begging him not to make me do this. He seemed to understand.

"Okay. Let me try." He cleared his throat, than proceeded to do a nearly spot-on imitation of my voice. "I didn't want to be changed. I wanted to have babies and fall in love and grow old and die. I just wanted to be away from-" He broke off. Nearly ninety years later, he still couldn't say _his_ name without breaking something. He continued on. "But I didn't want to become _this_." He finished, adding the sneer on the end just like I would have done. I stared at him for a minute, it not quite sinking in. Finally my thoughts settled enough for me to say something.

"Don't ever do that again. It sounds exactly like me. It's creepy."

He grinned at me, satisfied with that response. "That's what I do, doll." I shook my head. It really was bizarre.

"Two. I don't sound that whiny, do I?" I didn't want to sound so pathetic. He shook his head before I was done.

"Exaggeration, doll." He said with a smirk.

"Three. Stop calling me doll." I pouted at him. He shook his head once again.

"It's too fun, doll." I glared at him. He shrugged. I narrowed my eyes. His grin grew wider. I sighed and moved to the next point.

"Four. I'm sorry. It's just-" The finger was pressed to my lips once again.

"I wasn't finished." Emmett said softly. I gazed into his golden eyes and willed my pout not to tremble and give away my feelings. He switched to his 'Rosie' voice and started to speak again, still in the same soft tone.

"I don't regret it. Sure, there are some things I miss. I get jealous. I'm still not quite sure why Bella gave it all up. But than, I realize I do get it.

"When I see the way Bella looks at Edward, it clicks. When I remember the time I first saw Emmett, my amazing husband, it clicks. I can't live without him. And he can't live without me." I lifted an eyebrow. A smile flickered across his face. "Well, I can't," he muttered. I shook my head and motioned for him to continue.

"I wanted to be a mother, but I'm starting to realize maybe I'm getting that chance. Sure, it'll never be _mine_, but Nessie is like a daughter. And now Catherine. I know I can't really be that for her, but maybe like a really fun aunt.

"The point is, when Emmett says 'Do you regret it?', I say never. I will never regret this life." Emmett finished, still in my voice. I listened in awe. That had made things simpler.

"Well? I mean, well?" He had started off in my voice still. "Do you regret it?"

"Never." I whispered. Emmett grinned, and pulled me into his arms.

"Love you."

"Same." I giggled. "We sound like two grade schoolers." He chuckled, the movement rocking us gently.

Emmett sat on the edge of the bed, setting me on his lap. I kissed him softly. He responded, and soon we were kissing like there was no tomorrow.

The door creaked open. I didn't bother tearing my attention away. Whoever was stupid enough to come in probably deserved whatever sight they were getting.

I kept this philosophy until I heard a nervous giggle. I sighed and pulled away from my husband.

"What?" I snapped, looking toward the doorway. Nessie and Catherine stood in the doorway, gaping at us. Nessie was giggling. Catherine was standing there, her mouth slightly open in shock. I glanced at Emmett. He was trying not to smirk.

"We wanted to play cards with you. Alice and Daddy cheat." Nessie informed us. Emmett grinned and cracked his knuckles.

"All right! What are we playing? High stakes poker? Blackjack?" he asked, a devious grin on his face. I sighed and playfully slapped his cheek. He grinned down at me.

"Go fish," Nessie informed him gravely. "Alice says you're going to win, no matter what we play." Emmett's face fell, than perked back up at the end of the statement.

"I'm going to have to place my money on the obvious choice, than," he said with a long-suffering sigh.

"We can't find a pack of cards. Will you go find one?" Nessie asked him. Emmett shrugged.

"There's got to be a pack around here somewhere." He climbed off the bed and wandered out the doorway. As he left, he muttered. "Go fish? Why go fish? Why can't we play something fun, like tripoly, or spit? Even spoons? Haha, spoons. Not Forks. I crack myself up."

The moment he was gone, Nessie leaped onto the bed, followed a split second later by Catherine.

"Alright, who's really going to win?" I whispered. Nessie pointed at Catherine. We all grinned.

_This_ was the kind of moment that made my answer true.

Alice's POV

Things were too tense around here. I could feel it. Sooner or later it was all going to come to a point, and someone was going to snap. The only problem was that I had no idea who it was going to be, and when it was going to happen.

I lay quietly on the bed, eyes closed. I could hear Jasper's even breathing beside me, and I concentrated on that as I focused. Slowly, the images drifting through my mind came into focus, and I could finally see.

At the moment, no one was planning on attacking someone else in the near future. Than again, everyone was calm at the moment. Things could change in an instant. Even now, at their clearest, the visions didn't make any sense. I gave up a few moments later and opened my eyes with a sigh.

"Anything?" Jasper whispered. I shook my head.

"I-I can't see anything." I replied softly. He moved closer to me, and I curled into his chest.

"Promise me you won't snap." I asked quietly.

"You know I won't." He replied, matching my tone. I sighed irritably.

"I know you _say_ you won't. You're just itching for a fight, though, aren't you? We can all feel it?" I hissed. Jasper stopped breathing, and I felt the anger leave me quickly.

"Better?" Jasper asked me. I nodded.

"Sorry. You see what I mean, though? Everyone's too tense. It's driving me crazy." I said sadly. Jasper chuckled humorlessly.

"You think it doesn't affect me at all?" I winced at that.

"Let's go hunting. Keep our minds off all this. I need a break, anyway." I suggested, hopping off the bed. In the stillness of the night, I could hear other members of our family shifting around, ready to come with us.

"We won't be alone," he warned me. I giggled.

"So? It'll be the first thing we've done as a family without Catherine for a while. I need to hunt. You do, too," I noticed, watching the moon light Jasper's face. His eyes were dark, and I could see the beginnings of purple bags under his eyes.

"You would have needed to go in a day or two, anyway." I told him, towing him toward the door. He stopped, leaving me tugging uselessly at his arm.

"Let's get a head start." He said quietly, gesturing toward the window. I grinned at him.

"Sure." No other words needed to be spoken. My hand slipped into his, and we raced toward the window.

Three days later, I knew it was going to happen. It was hot and sunny out, so we were all confined to our house. I sighed, resting my head against Jasper's arm. He sat next to me on the couch, staring straight across the room.

I closed my eyes and willed a vision to focus. Yes, something was definitely going to change. The only question was who would start the fight.

I pressed my cheek against Jasper's shoulder. He smiled down at me. Emmett stared blankly through me. His face was dark.

Edward stepped quietly down the stairs and sat lightly on the couch's arm.

_Who's it going to be?_ I thought to him. His head twitched to the right, and then forward. Jasper and Emmett. I held Jasper's hand tighter.

"Stay strong. If we can get through today, we'll be alright." I whispered in his ear. _Right?_ I asked Edward. His chin jerked down. I took that for a yes.

"Where's Catherine?" Rosalie asked. The question was directed toward Edward, but she was staring straight at me. Her hand was wrapped around Emmett's in the same way mine was around Jasper's. We were perfectly in sync. We wouldn't let our boys get out of control.

"Upstairs with Nessie and Jacob. He'll step in if things get out of hand." The first part was addressed to the whole room. The second part was meant only for my ears.

My sight clouded instantly. I sighed. Jacob had a nasty habit of making my visions visible, but so blurry I couldn't pick out the specific details.

_I had it all figured out, too._ I whined. Edward grinned despite the tension in the room.

Catherine, Jacob and Nessie lumbered down the stairs. The latter pair was whispering about something or another. I didn't bother to listen in, but something about it obviously upset Edward. He stiffened.

"Watch yourself, dog," he muttered darkly. I turned to take a look at the trio. Jacob met my eyes and grinned. He wasn't sorry. I smiled back, than switched my gaze to Nessie. She smiled at me and fluttered her fingers by her waist in a small wave. A curl of hair wrapped around one of her fingers, and she turned her attention to her hair.

Catherine met my gaze head on. I smiled at her. She smiled shyly, and mentally, I sighed. I had a horrible feeling that whatever was going to happen today would set us back a long way.

I took out my phone and sent a quick message to Catherine. **If things look like they're going to end badly, I want you to run out back. Don't look back. Get as far away as you can. I'll get you when things are okay again.**

I risked one last look at Catherine. Her head dipped in acknowledgement. I smiled and sent one last text. **Relax. It's just me being overprotective. **As I sent the message, a horrible thought struck me before I could hide it. I was turning into Edward!

Edward turned and glared at me. I smiled sheepishly. Jacob walked over and sat on the floor by the two couches. Nessie sat next to Jacob. Bella came in from cleaning her little house and sat on the opposite side, so we formed a rough square.

Suddenly, something had been decided. I squeezed Jasper's hand tighter. The silence grew longer and longer. _Edward, what's going on?_ I asked urgently. He slipped off the couch arm and landed next to me. I shifted so I could hear without Jasper hearing. I hated doing things like this, but I couldn't let Jasper snap.

Edward's voice was low and urgent. "I don't know. Emmett's going over the information we have and getting more and more upset. Jasper's feeling that, and it's being magnified and returned. It's only a matter of time until one of them snaps." I turned away. I'd heard enough.

"Rose." I said, breaking the blanket of silence that seemed to be smothering us. She looked up, and I met her eyes. Her grip on Emmett tightened, and she leaned in closer to him.

"Emmett. You okay?" She whispered. Emmett stared angrily in my direction. "Emmett. Emmett." She said, shaking him slightly. The second I saw his gaze flicker to Rosalie, I focused my attention on Jasper.

"Jasper." I whispered into his ear. He started. "Come on." I said. He didn't look up.

"Give me a minute, please." His tone was pleasant, but I could hear the strain in his voice. I knew I had to end this, fast. So I took away the main source of the stress.

"Bella, shield everyone, please." I said calmly. Quickly I felt all of Jasper's influence vanish. It was than that I realized I had been dead wrong.

The conversation between Emmett and Rosalie got louder and more heated. Jasper took his hand from around my neck and rubbed his temples.

The room was suddenly much tenser than it was before. I realized far too late that Jasper had actually been trying to keep things calm, instead of magnifying the already tense atmosphere.

I felt Jacob stiffen, than leap up to get between the fighting pair across the room. "Let's just take it easy, now," he said desperately, his gaze flicking back to Nessie. I glanced in the same direction. Nessie was tensed, ready for anything. Catherine was sitting hunched, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Nessie, take Catherine and get out of here, please." I said shortly. Nessie stood up quickly and tugged at Catherine's arm. Catherine jerked away.

Rosalie stood up and shoved Jacob. "Get out of my way, _dog_," she sneered. "I have some business to do with my _husband_." Jacob pushed her back, not hard, just enough to get his message across.

"Calm down, babe," Emmett said sarcastically. He stood up and hauled Jacob over the couch. Jacob scowled across the room. He'd be thankful for that ejection from the fight later, I thought, a small smile flitting across my face.

"Make me." Rose sneered, shoving her face in Emmett's. Jasper stood up slowly.

"Drop it, Rose." His voice was deadly calm. I risked a glance at the two girls. Nessie was still tugging uselessly at Catherine's arm.

"Catherine. Cathy." I said quickly. Catherine looked up at me with frightened eyes. "Get out of here. Right now. Go!" I hissed. I turned my attention back to the others just in time.

"Make me." Rose said again, inches away from Jasper. The vision hit me just a second before it actually happened.

"Go!" I shouted. I heard stumbling feet behind me, but I knew it was too late. The last images burned in Catherine's mind would be Jasper's hand arcing back to cuff Rosalie, and Emmett's fist heading straight for Jasper's face.

Catherine's POV

I ran. I ran as fast I could. Tears streamed down my face. Vanessa threw open the door and sprinted out, and I followed her without a second thought. I heard a rumbling _crack_, and I screamed.

It was the first sound I had made in months, and it scared the heck out of me. Vanessa skipped a step, and slowed. I ran past her, desperate to get the images out of my head.

Adrenaline filled my veins, racing like fire up and down my body. I sprinted as fast as I could, but still the sounds of the people fighting could be heard.

It was just like before. People were always hurting other people. Time and time again I had seen it, and been afraid. Why I would think this family would be any different, I had no idea, I thought bitterly. For a split second I worried that Edward might have heard, but I decided my shield was clamped down quite firmly at the moment. I highly doubted I would ever lift it up again.

Nessie was suddenly in front of me, thigh deep in water. I realized that for the past moment, I had been stumbling through the river.

"Oh no you don't," she said firmly. I belatedly figured out what this might look like. I sank into the water, exhausted.

It wasn't deep here. I sat quietly, shaking from exhaustion and fear. The water just touched the top of my head. I sat and considered just staying here until things ended. It wasn't such a horrible prospect.

Something hauled me out of the water.

"I said no!" Nessie cried, shaking me. I met her eyes. Chocolate brown met blue-green. Eyes filled with concern met eyes filled with fear. Nessie pulled me gently up out of the river. She let go of my hand, and I swayed.

Suddenly I was exhausted. I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep until this whole thing was figured out and I could see my family again. I felt myself falling backward. Nessie was in front of me. She'd never catch me.

A pair of arms stopped my fall. I looked up into Carlisle's gentle eyes.

"We always seem to end up with the clumsy ones," he commented softly. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision.

"Do you mind if she borrows your bed?" Carlisle asked someone. I heard a voice, but didn't pay much attention. It was if giant colored baseballs were filling my vision. My ears were ringing, and it would feel so good just to sit down.

"She's faint." a voice said. I suddenly could feel wind whipping through my face. It was disorienting. Just a few seconds I had been falling. Was I still? It didn't feel like I was falling.

I was still pondering this question when I was carried into a small stone house. A part of me recognized it as the hut from Breaking Dawn. Another part of me sobbed at the confusion of it all. Yet another part of me was screaming at the rest of myself to get a grip. I never acted like this. I was tough.

I was laid gently on a bed. I drifted away in a canopy of darkness and dizziness.

I heard voices murmuring. I picked out Carlisle, Nessie, Jacob, and Edward before it all became too confusing.

"She's a mess." I heard Edward say quietly.

"Trauma can do that to a person, Edward." Carlisle said seriously. Nessie bit back a giggle.

"Catherine?" Jacob whispered. I opened my eyes and looked blearily up at the four concerned faces. I started to close my eyes, but Jacob put a hand under my chin and tipped it up. I stared at him, confused.

"It's okay." He said, trying to smile. I closed my eyes and remembered what he looked like as a wolf. He seemed so strong, then. Now everyone just seemed like things were on the verge of falling apart.

"Nessie? Will you share Jacob for a minute or two? Just until she falls asleep?" Edward asked. "I'm getting something from her. It's faint, but it might work."

Nessie must have agreed to whatever Edward was asking. I heard a faint pop, and I opened my eyes again. Where Jacob had been, there was now a red-brown wolf. A faint smile flickered across my face, and I reached one arm out weakly.

Jacob was there. I tangled my fingers in his coat, and stared into his intelligent eyes. He grinned a familiar grin, and I smiled back. I stared at him until my eyes decided to take a break without telling me.

The last thing I remember was the soft warmth of the Jacob-wolf, the murmuring voices of the others, the harsh memories rushing around in my brain, and a bittersweet melody weaving through it all.

**Do I have any Ranger's Apprentice readers here? Go read my latest adventure into fanfiction: Here Lies Lydia. For you Australian people, I realize that it doesn't match up with book 8. Deal. **

**Cocoa :)**

**P.S. I'm thinking only one or two more chapters until we hear Catherine's full backstory... remember: reviews are like rocket fuel. The more us writers get, the faster we go!**


	20. Shock

**Let me start out by saying that this chapter is not the one I originally started to write. I was writing, giving all these hints for the next chapter....and writing and finding out that this wasn't the chapter I thought it was. (has that ever happened to you before??) So, you get plenty of hints to Catherine's past in this one. **

**One other thing: the beginning may sound a bit weird. That is because Catherine is in shock (hence the title...). Truthfully, it was kind of fun to write like that...**

**Disclaimer: This is the 20th Chapter!!! Is there a point to this anymore??**

Catherine's POV

When my eyes opened again, there were at least six faces staring down at me. I kicked up and burrowed under the covers, shying away from the closeness.

"Catherine?" A voice I recognized as Esme's asked. I stayed under the sheets.

"Will she suffocate?" Emmett asked mildly. I heard a soft sigh, and then Esme spoke again.

"She isn't going to suffocate, Emmett. Now, be helpful or leave. We don't want you scaring her,"

Wait. What was going on? I searched my memory frantically. Oh, yes. The fight. The fight, the fight, the fight, that horrible _horrible_ fight that was sure to ruin me.

"What's she doing?" A third voice asked. I think it might have been Jasper. Jasper. He was a vampire. They were all vampires. All of them, just like James, the bad vampire. The bad, bad, bad vampire who-

"She's going into shock. Back away, everyone," A firm voice ordered. I heard the man kneel by the bed. "Catherine? It's Carlisle. Everything is all right. You're going into shock. I'm going to carry you now, all right?" I shook my head, thinking the whole time, _no no no no no no no!!!_ Men weren't good people. Men hurt me. Except for my Daddy. Emmett looked like Daddy. But he wasn't Daddy.

"Don't touch her, Carlisle." Edward said. I flinched, and burrowed deeper under the covers. How many people were in here, anyway? I began to chant to myself in my head. _Mama, mama, mama, mama. Come back, Mama. Come back, Daddy. _

"Rosalie, take Catherine." Carlisle's tone was short. I felt arms scooping me up. I panicked, flailing my arms and legs. I felt tears starting to fall, and I squeezed my eyes shut tight. It was like everything was happening all over again, and I was _scared._

"Catherine. It's mama." _Mama?_ It sounded like Mama. I opened one eye a tiny bit. It _looked_ like Mama. Oh. Everything was okay.

Suddenly things were making a bit more sense. I decided I was in heaven, since that was where Mama was. That was why everything was so confusing.

I heard a sigh, and people talking quietly in the background. My forehead wrinkled. There were secrets, even in heaven?

"Catherine? It's Mama again. Don't fight Mr. Carlisle, okay? He's trying to help you. I know you can't tell him what's wrong, but let him try, okay?" Mama said. I nodded. If Mama trusted him, he must be okay. "He's going to have to touch you." I stiffened. I didn't like being touched. Except by Mama. I liked it when she hugged me. I nodded again anyway.

"Alright. We're going to put her up in the closet again." Carlisle said. I frowned. The closet? Was I being punished again?

"Catherine, close your eyes, honey. We're going to bring you back to the house." Mama said. I closed my eyes obediently. I felt a strange rushing sensation, than Mama laid me onto a different bed.

I was confused. I had just woken up, hadn't I? I wasn't sleepy. I actually felt wide awake, like someone had dumped a gallon or two of adrenaline into my system. I felt all tingly, like something was about to happen.

"Catherine? Mr. Carlisle's going to ask you a few questions, okay? You don't have to do anything but think about the answers. He's making sure you didn't hurt anything when you hit your head." I hit my head? _That's _why I was so confused. I always got disoriented after I bumped my head. I would be okay in a bit.

I sighed, another piece falling into place. That meant I wasn't really in heaven. It was just a dream. Mama wasn't here. Maybe the vampires weren't real either. Maybe it was all just in my head. _Oh well. Better enjoy having Mama here while it lasts,_ I decided.

"Are you ready, Catherine?" _yes._ "Okay. What's your full name?" _Catherine Gabrielle Remzer. _"How many siblings do you have, and what are their names?" _4. Two brothers, two sisters. Robert Michael Remzer, Maria Amanda Remzer, Theodore Nathanial Remzer, and Annie Veronica Remzer. _

"Are you getting this?" Dr. Carlisle asked. I didn't think it was a question for me.

"Don't push her too far, Carlisle. She's close to the breaking point already." A voice warned.

"One more question, Catherine, and then we'll stop." Dr. Carlisle said to me. Mama squeezed my hand. "What are your parent's names?" I struggled with this one. I knew them, but I couldn't think them without it hurting.

_Do I have to?_ I pleaded. "Carlisle…" A second voice warned.

"It's okay, Catherine. It's okay." Mama said. _I can't. I can't I can't I can't I-_

"Enough," Carlisle said quietly. "I apologize, Catherine. I went a bit too far with that question. Rest, now. Everything will make more sense later. Jasper, if you will-" Slowly, a sense of exhaustion swept over me. I yawned and curled up on the bed. A blanket was draped over me carefully. I smiled.

Mama was here. But where was Daddy? _Daddy?_ I asked.

"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm sorry I've been gone so long." Daddy said. He was here! He held my other hand. Between Daddy and Mama, I drifted off to sleep.

Jasper's POV

I closed my eyes and took a long, shuddering breath. Alice slipped her hand into mine. I knew that she was as sad and confused and horrified as I was.

"Let's go." she whispered. I kept my eyes closed, but stood up when she tugged my hand. I followed her blindly through the halls.

"Wait," Carlisle called softly, stepping out of Catherine's room. Alice stopped, and I halted and turned around.

"Family meeting." Carlisle said quietly. I opened my eyes with a sigh and walked back to where the rest of our family was still sitting. He motioned into the room that was supposed to belong to our newest sibling, and we all filed in silently. Carlisle closed the door behind us.

Nessie and Jacob were absent, as they had been throughout this whole affair. I checked my watch. 4:30 am. Well, that would explain it.

_Where's Nessie?_ I asked Edward. His fist clenched.

"La Push," he snarled under his breath. I winced in sympathy. Carlisle cleared his throat, effectively ending that conversation.

"Thoughts?" He asked us. From the couch, Edward spoke up.

"I think I'm going to kill the people that did this. Is that the kind of thought you mean?" As always, his articulation was perfect, yet we could all sense the pure fury that penetrated his indifferent appearance.

"I never thought- Carlisle, what happened? She's different now." Rosalie asked quietly. Carlisle sighed, and I could tell he was just as perplexed as the rest of us.

"She's in shock. She's seen some pretty bad things in her life, I'm sure. After what happened yesterday-just when things seemed to be looking up for her- would cause shock for anyone."

"I caught something yesterday, just after she screamed." Edward said quietly. "She thought- she said she's seen fighting over and over again, and that she was afraid. Why did she think things would be different here? I think she was just starting to be happy-" Edward broke off and looked at me. I nodded confirmation.

"She's not the person she was when she first came," I said. "I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing. She was better, and now she's worse, because of that stupid fight-" I fell silent. It was my fault. It was _my fault_ that this whole thing had happened. If I had just kept my temper, things would have been different, probably better.

A quick glance showed me that Emmett was realizing the same things. His stricken face must have mirrored mine. He met my eyes across the room. 'I'm sorry' he mouthed. 'Sorry' I replied, shaking my head.

"It was going to happen sooner or later," Alice said from next to me. It was the first time she had spoken for the whole meeting. "It happened at a bad time. Even if you two hadn't fought, someone would have snapped in the next day or so. It probably would have been me," she added with a wry grin. I closed my eyes and felt the emotions in the room.

Most of the boys were furious, most of the girls were sad. Everyone had their own mix of the two. There were one or two other things, coming from Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, Alice, and Esme. Happiness, and hope?

"Why are you happy?" I asked softly. If Rosalie had some stupid shallow answer, I swore I was going to kill her. Her answer surprised me.

"Because I was her Mama. I made her happy, if just for a moment. Even though in her heart, she knows I'm not Mama, she let me pretend to be that for her. Same for Emmett," she added, putting an arm around my brother. "He's her Daddy."

"You know it probably won't be like that later," Carlisle warned. Rosalie nodded, and then frowned.

"What if… what if she's actually related to one of us? What then? I know it would be distant, but what if she's actually, really, a part of our family? Not necessarily me and Emmett, but any of us?" The question hung in the air for a moment or two. Bella spoke up quietly.

"From the moment she first saw you, Jasper, something connected. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but it's obvious. You two are like kindred souls," she told me. To my surprise everyone nodded their agreement.

"She needs me," I tried to explain. Carlisle shook his head.

"It goes deeper than that, Jasper. From the very beginning of this whole mess, something clicked with you, and with Rosalie. Emmett came later." Emmett shrugged.

"Look. What are we going to do about it?" Esme spoke up. Carlisle shrugged.

"That's the million-dollar question. I honestly don't know what to do. I've seen abuse, but never anything like this." Carlisle's face was troubled. "I really, truly, can't tell you what's going to happen next."

Catherine's POV

The next time I woke up, I remembered a bit more. I was back, at least a bit.

I had visitors. Jasper and Alice were sitting in the doorway, watching me. I squirmed. I was a bit better, but the way the Cullens stared was still unnerving.

I took a closer look at my guests. Their eyes were sad. "You okay, Catherine?" Alice asked. I shook my head. A faint smile graced her lips. "That's what I thought."

I dug my notebook out from under my pillow. I always did like it better than texting. _You tricked me._ Alice frowned.

"How?" _You said I'd be safe here. _"You are. No one is ever going to hurt you." I shook my head. She didn't understand. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Jasper spoke up, drawing away my attention.

"Alice, she _is_ hurting. Because of what happened." I heard his unsaid sentence loud and clear. _Because of what I did._ Alice nodded in recognition.

"I think you two need to talk. I'll be outside if you need me." she said, standing from her stool and walking out the door. Jasper smiled sadly at me.

"It's my fault you're like this right now, you know," he informed me. I shrugged. _I've been like this before, I'll be like it again. Part of life._ Jasper read it, and closed his eyes.

"Would you be afraid if I said I want to kill whoever did this to you?" He said calmly. I could see his jaw clenched in anger, though. I shrugged again. "That's what I thought." Suddenly he relaxed, and the sadness went back into his eyes.

"I'm sorry for this, Catherine. It's my fault. Things snapped. I know it doesn't excuse my behavior, but it's the best I can do." I froze, my pencil millimeters from the paper. _I'm scared of men. When they fight they're drunk, or mean. Sometimes they hit women. Sometimes they hit kids. I know you wouldn't hit me, but you were going to hit Rosie._ I slowly showed Jasper the paper. He shook his head, the pain evident on his face.

"What have I done?" He whispered to himself. "Catherine, I would understand if you never forgave me. God knows I don't know if I can forgive myself. I- I'm sorry." This time I knew exactly what to write.

_I have to forgive you._ He looked at me, confused. "Why? If you're trying to think of my feelings-" I held up a hand. _I have to forgive you because I didn't, I wouldn't have anyone left. You're like me. You've seen bad things. I can see it in your eyes, and in your scars._

Jasper read my words quietly. "Thank you." he said at last. I nodded. He stood up to go, but I quickly showed him my last message. _Do you think- will you make me sleepy? I don't want to think anymore._ It was true. I didn't like having to think about my past, because it hurt. Yet it was all starting to come back, and it scared me.

Jasper nodded. Soon an overwhelming sense of peace and exhaustion drifted over me, and I slept.

The next time I woke up, it was time for more of 'Dr. Carlisle' and his neverending questions. I had figured out that Edward was listening in on my thoughts, so they really were getting answers. Whatever. I didn't care. As long as it didn't hurt too much.

"Did you live next to people named Ben and Angela?" _Yes. They were nice. Jessica was my friend._ "Did you live at their house?" _No, next to them. _"Did you live at that house with other children?" _Yes. Kylie and Panda._ "Do you know anything else about them? Maybe their last names? Did you know them before?" I wasn't answering that one.

"I'm putting a mark next to that one. Alright, last one. Parent's names?" I hesitated. _You won't find them in the phone book. We changed our last name. And they're gone. Mama is in heaven, and Daddy is gone. _"I realize that, Catherine, but that could help us." I sighed.

_Mama's name was Rosa. Daddy's was Jonathan. But we weren't Remzer to begin with._ "Do you think you can tell us-" _No._

Carlisle sighed. "Well, we'll work with that for now. Edward, do you want to talk to Catherine?" Edward shrugged.

"You okay, Cath.?" He asked me. I nodded. "I'm fine if she is." Carlisle looked out the doorway. "Rosalie? Emmett?" I closed my eyes. I had been dreading this conversation. The two walked into the room, arm in arm.

"Hey, Catherine. Mind if we talk for a bit?" Emmett's voice was kind. Even though I trusted him, I couldn't bring myself to be around him again just yet. I shrugged. I felt the pair sit at the foot of my bed. I opened my eyes a slit to see them glancing uneasily at me.

I slowly pulled out my notebook and flipped to the back cover. I held it out for Rosalie and Emmett to see, along with a note. _This is my Mama and Daddy._

The resemblance was stunning, to say the least. It was easy to see how I could have fooled myself into thinking that they were my parents.

I flipped the notebook back over, and wrote a second note. _You tricked me._ _You let me believe you were Mama_. Rosalie smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry about that. You- you know my story. When you believed that I was your Mama- it was too tempting a chance to pass by. I'm sorry." I thought about that for a moment. _You lied to me._

Emmett answered this time. "Yeah. Pretty much. Sorry." Rosalie shoved him playfully.

"Emmett McCarty! Not helpful!" She rolled her eyes at me, and I suppressed a giggle. Then things turned more serious. Rosalie's voice turned sad. "I'm sorry. I know what you think of us, but it isn't like that. I was just trying to help." I was automatically writing out a response. _It's ok. Just never again. Wait. What's his last name?_

"McCarty. It's not a very popular name anymore, but there was a whole mess of us in Tennessee. Why?" I could see the confused look on Emmett's face and hesitated. Was this the right thing to do? I made up my mind. They deserved to know. Even if it didn't mean anything.

Emmett's face changed as he read my note. Rosalie read over his shoulder, and if possible, her face turned even whiter. She started to speak, but Emmett stopped her. He stared from the note in his hand to my face, and back to the note again.

Abruptly he stood up, crumpling the note in his hand. "Carlisle?" he called, walking out of the room without a backward glance. Rosalie followed with an apologetic smile.

I stared after them, hoping I hadn't made a huge mistake. I closed my eyes and thought hard. No, it wasn't a mistake. Not yet. Suddenly I was sleepy again. It seemed to be happening a lot lately.

My last thought before I fell asleep was the note.

_It's just- McCarty? That was my last name. Before. Catherine McCarty. My dad was Jonathan McCarty. McCarty. Just like you._

**Alright, be honest. Who saw that coming? **

**I'd like to make a shoutout here: to the names of people I used for middle names: Gabrielle-Gabby, aka twilighthorse! Her story The Hunt is awesome! READ IT. Veronica- my BFF forever (and yes, I realize how bad the grammar is) Nika, aka jedigirl627, whose story Believe is also amazing. Amanda- two people actually. Amanda from my school (is she reading this yet?) and my newest friend, -0amandashea0- who stayed up all night to read this! Finally, Mike and Nathan, who have and will probably never see this, but are two of my best 'guy friends' (no, do not be getting any ideas)**

**Ok: who here has seen the play/movie/read the books Mary Poppins? Of those people, who wants to read a Mary Poppins oneshot?? (it better be most of you... =D) One last thing... who's interested in a Ranger's Apprentice Role Play??**

**Cocoa :)**


	21. Shift

**1. Disclaimer: NOT SM. Deal.  
****2. Sorry for Non-Updatingness.  
****3. Doing all A.N. stuff here as to not ruin the ending. And  
****4. Next update won't be until June (which isn't very far away…)  
****5. When you're done reading this, I have very VERY important news on my profile. Feel free to PM or email me if you have questions.  
****6. I don't really have anything for number six. Do you?  
****7. I like the number seven. I also like Jedadiah from Night at the Museum. Who else saw the new movie?  
****8. I feel like I should let you read the chapter now. Because it's been so long and all.  
****9. I like numbers. Speaking of numbers, there are only a few chapters left. Can we try to get to 200 reviews?  
****10. This chapter hasn't been beta'd because I finished it about thirty seconds ago, and my beta has mysteriously vanished.**

**Cocoa =D**

Emmett's POV

I stared at the note in my hand again. _Catherine McCarty_. It couldn't be possible. There was no way.

"What the- Carlisle?" I yelled, storming out of Catherine's room. I heard Rosalie walking out behind me, but I was too busy to notice. I reached the stairs and took them three at a time, trying not to dent the steps like I had last week.

I hated Mondays. Things like this always happened to me on Mondays. It figured. Maybe I was changed on a Monday. That would make sense… but I was getting off topic.

"Carlisle!" I yelled again, my voice echoing through the house. Alice was standing on the landing below me. I stopped on the third step so we would be at eye level.

"I didn't see this. I swear. I would have told you." Alice said quickly. "This changes things. No wonder we haven't been able to find anything about her. I can't believe this. Catherine _McCarty?_ This can't be a coincidence." She took a long breath, and then continued. "Where's Carlisle?" I rolled my eyes.

"If I knew, would I be asking?" I said with exaggerated patience. Rosalie put a hand on my shoulder. Alice acknowledged the point with a nod.

"Right. I'll try his cell." She disappeared, and I continued down the stairs.

Edward saw me coming down the stairs and very wisely kept his mouth shut. I glared at him and he shrugged. I heard a phone go off, and soon I heard Alice's high voice quickly passing on this new piece of news.

She soon appeared, her forehead wrinkled. "He's hunting with Jasper and Bella. They'll be back in a few." Esme walked in the door with a stack of books. When she got a good look at our faces, she set down the books and sat on the couch.

"All right. Everyone sit down and relax. What happened?" I sat on the step next to Rosalie. Edward sat on the loveseat, drumming his fingers on the armrest. Alice sat on the arm of the couch, next to Esme.

"Look." I finally said, tossing the wad of paper to Esme. She read it, and her eyes got round. She blinked a few times, stared at the note again, and tossed it back to me.

"She doesn't like to think about this. It's easier to go with the other name." Edward said in answer to a silent question. He was staring at Rosalie as he spoke. "It's probably best to not say anything. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Her last name is _McCarty,_ Edward. What am I supposed to think?" I said, my short temper snapping. Carlisle came in at that same moment.

"Note, please." I tossed him the note, and he read it and passed it back.

"Let's examine our options." His voice was calm.

"It could just be a coincidence. A really freakish coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless." Bella said, sitting down on Edward's lap.

"She has a point," Jasper said. "You said it yourself, Em. There are a lot of McCartys out there."

"That's an option," Carlisle said calmly. "What else?" I opened the note and stared at it again. _Jonathan McCarty. _Those two names fit together. Where had I heard that name before?

"The Witness Protection Program." Bella suggested. "I remember Charlie bringing that up once."

"That's another option." Esme said.

"What about the one everyone is just dancing around?" I asked, attempting to keep my temper under control. "She's Catherine McCarty. I'm Emmett McCarty. There's a chance that she's related to me. " The room was absolutely silent.

"That's an option as well." Carlisle finally said quietly. "It's a possibility. Now, are we done here?" Without a word the others stood up and left. I was left alone with Carlisle in the living room.

"Office." He said to me. I followed him upstairs, considering what he wanted to know that was so private that he only wanted the two of us to know.

When we reached his study, Carlisle sat down in his chair. I sat down on the other side of his desk, momentarily distracted by the amazingness of his chairs. They were so cushy! They were the comfiest office chairs I had ever been in. Why didn't the school have chairs like this?

Carlisle coughed, bringing my focus back to the situation at hand. He leaned forward to study me. I squirmed like a schoolboy sent to the headmaster's office for sticking a toad in a girl's coat. Hadn't I done that before? Maybe in first grade…

Carlisle spoke, bringing me around once again. "Now, Emmett. Be honest. Before you were changed…" I moaned. I knew what was coming. It would be "was there anyone else?"

Yeah. This is one of those Mondays that really don't work out for me.

"Was there another girl, maybe? Nothing serious, just a summer romance? Something of that sort?" I had to hand it to him. He was making it seem like we were discussing the weather, instead of my sex life.

I groaned and tried to remember. "There was never anything serious. It was always just Rosalie. But, there might have been one or two, a few summers before I was changed." I sorted through my fuzzy memories.

"There was this one girl. Now that I think about it, she looks a bit like Catherine. Gina was her name, maybe. And there was Jackie. That was it. I wasn't into the girls as much. It was just poker and hunting mostly for me and my buds." I thought for a moment longer. "That's it. Can I go now? Please?" Carlisle nodded absent-mindedly, his fingers tracing patterns in the wooden desk.

"Go ahead." He said finally. I bolted out of the cushy chair and flew out the door, slamming it behind me.

I walked to my room, shuddering. It was beyond awkward having to discuss this with your dad.

The worst was yet to come. Rosalie sat on our bed, arms crossed.

"So. Gina and Jackie, huh?" Yeah. I hate Mondays.

Edward's POV

I ignored the conversation taking place up in Carlisle's office. There were some things that you just didn't want to know.

I sprawled across the living room couch and closed my eyes, drifting into the minds of my families.

Carlisle was pondering how exactly we had gone from a peaceful family to one so entangled in a child's past. His conclusion was similar to mine: when you're family, you do whatever it takes to make everything all right. It had taken me forever to learn that lesson.

Esme was rereading a book. _Pride and Prejudice._ Supposedly a classic. I never did like it. Maybe that was just me. I couldn't tolerate classics because they were written in my time.

Rosalie and Emmett were bickering up in their room. I quickly ignored their thoughts. I didn't need to hear Emmett explain himself. Emmett did have a point, though. It was long before he ever met Rosalie. Then again, the fact that he had been with someone else was bound to upset Rosalie. I was starting to get how Bella felt way back before I proposed.

Alice was right across the room from me, sketching me while I examined her. She was in an artistic mood lately; we all had them every so often. I would spend days at the piano, Rosalie would string armfuls of bracelets, and Jasper would pull out his Civil War models.

Jasper, meanwhile, was in the backyard, watching the sun rise. He liked doing that sort of thing. A bit of beauty helps him remember that there's still some good in the world. He didn't use to know that.

Bella was bringing a sleepy Nessie into the house across the yard. She talked in her sleep, just like Bella used to. Interesting how genetics work.

I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Catherine was awake. She knew I was listening.

_Hey, Edward._ Her voice was quiet. _I'm just going to talk. Or think. Whatever. Hi. This bed is comfy. I'm getting out my phone now. I'm texting. I really like this phone. Samsung, right? It has a touch screen. I like touch screens. They're cool. And the little keyboard comes up if you turn it on its side. That's neat._

A moment later my pocket vibrated, and a message from Catherine popped up. Good Morning! =D. I grinned, and opened a chat room.

Morning All. –Ed

Morning!!- Alice

Yo.- Emmett

Emmett, stop trying to sound cool.- Jasper

Why are we doing this again?- Rosalie

Because I feel like it- Alice

More chat rooms opened and closed. Private conversations broke off and rejoined the main chat, which Alice dubbed 'Cullen Chats'.

A moment or two later another room opened. 'Happy Place'. A second later another opened. 'Top Secret'. I joined both, my curiosity getting the better of me once again.

About what? Hi Edward. –Alice. Apparently I had missed the question.

About the last name thing again. Jonathan fits with McCarty. It's familiar. I don't know why. –Emmett. This was going to be another speculation room, I assumed.

I switched back to 'Cullen Chats'. Jasper and Bella were arguing over who had the cooler talent. I joined in.

I win, hands down. – Ed.

Ha!- Jasper.

This was boring. I switched to 'Happy Place', where Esme was chatting Catherine up.

Hey Edward. How are things downstairs? –Esme.

Fine. How are you, Cath?- Ed

I'm fine.- Catherine.

She wasn't fine. She normally had smiley faces at the end of her texts. I switched chats again.

Can you get a read on Cath?- Ed

She's upset about something. Something isn't right.- Jasper

I flipped through the chats again. My foot tapped against the floor, the tempo increasing as my thoughts moved faster.

Wait a minute. Jonathan McCarty. I know why that sounds familiar. –Emmett.

What?- Alice

What?!?! – Rosalie.

Oh jeez. Something isn't right.- Alice.

What?- Ed.

A new message in 'Happy Place'. I flicked across, my foot tapping ever faster.

Is anyone there?- Catherine.

Esme? – Catherine.

Anyone?- Catherine.

I began to type a response. I'm right here. It's fine. Sorry, was away from phone. I was too late.

It figures. I hate this. –Catherine. *Conversation Terminated*

I stared at the words for a moment or two. I shook myself loose and thumbed my way into the other chats.

Someone get upstairs now!- Ed.

I looked up and locked eyes with Alice. Her eyes were huge. I dropped my phone and lunged for the stairs, Alice hot on my heels.

Catherine's POV

I locked my phone and tossed it across the room. I felt empty. My heart hurt. Come to think of it, my whole body hurt. It felt like I was on fire, like a really bad sunburn growing worse, spreading from the back of my neck to my whole body.

I bit my lip hard, and my eyes grew wide. What was happening? I hated this. I hated this whole thing. This was just like always. Everyone always left me, and I felt like I was alone in the middle of a crowd. Two voices kept running through my head.

"If you don't fit in somewhere, you just keep moving on until you find somewhere you do."

"What if nobody wants you?"

What if nobody wants you? I pondered that until the burning sensation became too much to bear and I succumbed to the blackness.

Edward's POV

I threw open the door to see Catherine thrashing silently on her bed. Her face was drawn, and she was paler than I had ever seen her.

A scent in the room was horrifyingly familiar: venom. None of us had bitten her. Yet she was- at least it looked like she was-

Carlisle stormed into the room, his golden hair strewn. "What's going on? Why is she-" He inhaled, and noticed the same thing I did.

"What's going on?" He said angrily. By this time, everyone had gathered by the doorway. Carlisle looked at all our confused faces, than sank into the chair, running a hand through his hair.

"She's- She's changing." He said, his voice and face puzzled.

I sat in confused silence on the couch downstairs. Everyone was shaken by this new turn of events. Emmett was pacing, Alice was trying to see what would happen next, and everyone else was just plain freaking out.

For lack of something to do, I pulled open the remains of the chat rooms we had been using.

I checked 'Cullen Chats' first.

She feels empty. This is wrong. –Jasper.

Something's happening. Move- Bella

Get upstairs- Rosalie.

Then I went to 'Top Secret'.

Jonathan McCarty: I know why that's so familiar. –Emmett.

Why?- Alice.

Jonathan McCarty: That was my brother's name. –Emmett.


	22. Memoirs

**Listening to Bon Jovi....he was at a concert less than an hour away and I didn't go...how pathetic... =(. Heehee but this isn't the time for me to be whining. Anyway...**

**I know, it's been forever. First it was summer school, then I lost my zip drive. But it's finished! Sadly, it's very short, and I really don't think it's that great. Oh well. I'll let you make your own opinions now.**

**Disclaimer: I'm Stephenie Meyer. I'm also J.K. Rowling. And S.E. Hinton. All in one. =P (ok, I'm not, but I own books by all of them!)**

Catherine's POV

The pain spread very very quickly. There was absolutely nothing to compare it to. I wouldn't let myself scream, though. I held myself absolutely rigid as the fire spread from the back of my neck to the rest of my body. As hard as I tried to stay still, I could feel myself trembling.

The corner of my mind that was always paying attention to my surroundings was telling me that I wasn't alone again. Everyone was staring in my doorway. I could sense them all, even with my eyes tightly closed.

"She's- She's changing." Carlisle said in quiet shock. I inhaled sharply, and the fire blazed through my throat.

From there things went kind of fuzzy. Esme got me as comfortable as I could be on the bed, while Edward and Carlisle ran some tests. I listened to their observations as I attempted to make my own conclusions.

After a while, it hurt too much to focus on them, and- how cliché does this sound?- my life began to flash before my eyes. From my very first memory to this morning before all this happened.

The memories flashed over and over again, a neverending video. Every breakfast, every song I'd heard, every book I'd ever read. Thoughts whirled through my head until I wasn't sure what was fact and what was fiction.

And there was the fire. A blazing inferno that automatically reminded me of the fire that changed my life forever. I could think about those things now. It was so easy. The pain they caused me was absolutely nothing compared to the pain I was feeling right now.

As said pain reached a new crescendo, I clenched my fist, squeezed my eyes tighter, and focused hard. I slowly, carefully, brought my very first memory forward. It was time for my story to be told. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I took a deep breath through the flames, and let myself be drawn into the memories.

Hello. My name is Catherine Gabriella McCarty. This is my story.

I was born to Rosa and Jonathon McCarty on September 4th, 1995. I was the oldest. Next came Robby and Maria. They were twins. Later came Teddy. And last came Annie.

We were a family for a long time. First a family of three. My parents spoiled me rotten. Mama always called me her little miracle. I never truly understood why. Not for the longest time.

Later we were a family of five. Robby and Maria were unbelievably close. Robby was serious and sullen, a lot like my father at times. Maria was a childish version of my mother. She was kind and innocent and sweet. Secretly, she was always my favorite of my sisters and brothers.

Teddy came next. He was always quiet and studious. When we tried to get him to play, he would look at us with his big brown eyes as if to ask 'why?' When the whole family would go to museums, you could always tell that he was in his element. Those were the happiest times for us. The six of us, all as a family.

Then came little Annie. Mama was sick for the longest time before Annie came along, and Daddy said that the pregnancy was too much for her. He begged her to give up the baby, but she refused. She always said she loved us too much for her own good.

When Annie was born, Mama held on for two weeks. She never let go of Annie. She told me that she was trying to love Annie as much as she could, so Annie would have something to hold onto when she was sad.

When she died, it was the worst day of my life. Things just went downhill from there.

A few months after Mama died, a man called James started calling. I didn't really understand what he wanted, but it was plain Daddy wasn't going to let him have it.

We got moved into the Witness Protection Program. Daddy called in some favors, got some new ids, and moved the new Remzer family west. Waaay west. West to Idaho. He was pretty sure that James wouldn't find us here. He was wrong.

One fall night, James found us. He and Daddy fought. That night there was an accident. The house caught on fire. James and his followers came with guns. They shot at my dad, then set the house on fire.

I didn't stay to watch. I told the others to get out, than I grabbed just a few precious things. I grabbed Annie's blanket, Maria's stuffed penguin, Robby's action figure, Mama's locket, and Daddy's watch. Teddy had already grabbed his most prized possession: his little book that Mama had made for him.

We got out and ran as fast as we could. To this day I still wonder why James didn't come after us. Maybe the fight was just with Daddy. Maybe he wasn't thirsty enough to bother with tracking us. Either way, I hated him for destroying my family.

Eventually, the police caught up with us. They figured out we were now officially orphans, and stuck us in the nearest orphanage.

I did not want us to be split up. With the size of our little group, it was bound to happen, but I fought it. I made nice with the workers, and put in a pretty good plea to keep us together. It worked- at least for a while.

Our first foster family was probably the best. We stayed there for nine months, the five of us, our foster parents, and their two teenage daughters, Sarah and Courtney.

Sarah was the kinder one. She was still a snot and liked to party, but she would let me crash on her floor when I didn't want to put up with the little ones for a while. She did most of her own homework, and had a pretty good collection of books for a prep. I spent a lot of hours holed up in her closet reading when I just wanted to get away for a while.

Courtney, on the other hand, was your basic definition of a prep. She didn't do her homework, was mostly focused on partying, and had an endless parade of friends and boyfriends constantly around. I spent a lot of time playing secretary to her: doing homework, keeping track of the popular crowd, and making her earrings. And doing her chores, of course.

I was about halfway through Twilight when our foster parents made an announcement: two of us were going to be adopted. The rest had to go.

Robby and Maria were ecstatic. They had a home. Finally. Things might not always be great, but they were going to have a family.

Sometimes I still wonder what my life would have been like if they had chosen me. I might have been happier, but I could never live without knowing how the others were doing.

So back to the orphanage with Teddy and Annie I went. We were there ages before we got adopted again. It got lonely, but looking back, I would have rather stayed there.

Most of the three months we spent there were spent in the basement, listening to our 'parents' fight. I think it was there that I learned to be scared of men. The woman there also looked a bit like Alice, which freaked me out a bit. But as scared as I was, I felt worse for Teddy and Annie. They were _little_.

So when I couldn't take it anymore, I made Teddy and Annie leave. It was that day that I lost my voice for good. I had always been quiet before, but there was no point in talking anymore.

When my 'parents' got arrested, I was sent to a new orphanage in Oregon. There I met Kylie and Panda. They were my first real friends in ages, probably since before the fire. When we all got adopted together, I was happier than I'd been in a long time.

These foster parents were druggies. I didn't care, I truly didn't. It didn't matter. I had Kylie and Panda. And then we all had the people next door.

Ben, Angela, and their three kids soon became our family more than the people we lived with. Our houses were only a few feet apart. Our bedroom window faced Jessica's window. Ben put a board between the windows, and we would sneak over there a lot. It was a place where we could feel somewhat safe.

We lived like that for a long time. I wasn't happy, but I was relatively safe. Our foster parents basically ignored us, but Ben and Angela were good to us. For a while I had a faint hope that they might adopt us. It didn't happen, but they did the next best thing. They called the cops.

Kylie, Panda, and I moved in with Ben and Angela for a week or two. Then they split us all up and moved us into different orphanages. Again.

I spent the longest time in this orphanage. Maybe close to a year. Then I got adopted again. This time it was for the better.

Now I'm here. With the Cullens. Now I'm starting to remember what family means. Now I'm home.

_My memories stuttered to a halt. The inferno raged ever higher, but I felt at peace. _

"_You've done well", my mother told me. I saw her and Daddy together. It was like I was standing at the gate of Heaven, and they were coming to greet me._

"_We're so proud of you," she told me. I smiled at her. Then I looked at Daddy, and all the pieces fell into place._

"_You were half-vampire." I told him. He grinned at me but didn't deny it._

"_You always were too smart for your own good," he informed me. I considered this, and what it meant for me. My eyes widened._

"_I'm quarter-vampire. So that's why-" It answered a whole lot of questions._

"_Venom runs through your veins like adrenaline. When you get emotional, some moves through you. This time the venom was too much, and you changed." Daddy explained. I nodded, puzzling it out in my mind._

"_You can come home now, Baby." Mama said softly. "It can all end here."_

_I took a step forward. But then I hesitated. "What about the others?" Daddy and Mama glanced at each other. "What about Teddy? Maria? Robby? Annie? What about them?" I persisted._

_Mama smiled sadly. "They're still out there. They aren't here. But they'll come soon. And then we'll be a family again." I took another step forward, but looked back._

_I saw the Cullens. Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Nessie. My new family. _

"_Cathy, baby. Come home." Now Mama's voice was unsure. Yet even as I hesitated I could feel the fire blazing hotter and hotter. _

"_I'm sorry, Mama." I hugged her close, then Daddy. I stepped back and flinched as the blaze left my fingers and toes. _

"_Linger or light, the choice is yours." Daddy told me with a grin. "I read that in a fortune cookie once." I grinned despite myself, even as the fire engulfed me. _

"_Goodbye. I love you. I'll miss you." I managed to get out. My throat felt tight, and it wasn't just the flames. _

The image faded away, and the fire went out with a last flicker that retreated into my throat. I opened my eyes and stared up into my new life.

**There's a pretty obscure book reference somewhere near the end. Major kudos to anyone that gets it!**

**A note or two: I answer every review I get. (Well, 99%). For everyone that reviews, I also check out their profile. That way I get to see your stories, and some of the stuff on your favorites. But I don't check out anyone who favorites me. (so this is just me sending you subliminal messages to review....) Just a thought... =P**

**Also: wait, what was my also. OOh yeah. Since I'm almost done with Twilight fics, will you all vote on my poll? I have about a zambillion (zambillion copyrighted by my summer school math teacher) different ideas for about five different areas. If you'd help me narrow it down it'd be great!**

**I've taken Beadwork and Coven off the site. Anyone who wanted to know what would happen in Coven, feel free to contact me, and I'll pull up my notes.**

**I had something else, but for the life of me I can't remember what. While I'm here I'm going to promote my best friend on the planet, jedigirl627, whose birthday is tomorrow! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIKA!!! Go read her story Believe!**

**Okay, last thing. I'm recommending the story Breaking The Impossible. I actually don't remember the author, but it's an amazing the story. She did the impossible in not only a way that makes it sound not cheesy, but IN character and believable. Thanks to her, I have a new respect for the hidden gems on this site. Plus, it made me get off my lazy butt and write this!**

**Okay, enough is enough. Read, Review, Vote, and that's pretty much it. There are four chapters left in this! **

**Cocoa =D**

**P.S. I lied. One last thing. You have a choice of what Catherine's real gift is going to be. She's supposedly a shield, but that's just a perk to being 1/4 vamp. Your choices are:**

**1. She can become invisible**

**or**

**2. She can send her thoughts. (Like the opposite of Edward.)**

**Okay, now I'm really done.**

**Cocoa =D**


	23. 1 year on ff! Mini chap: New

**So, sometime last night (read: 7:45) I figured out that I've been on the site one year. And I didn't have anything. So, I started this, then got distracted (read: party). So here's a present for you!**

**Disclaimer: Mine. JK**

Bella has described pretty accurately the way everything looks and sounds like and _feels _like once you're first changed, but experiencing it firsthand is still pretty crazy.

I sat up slowly, staring around the too-small-for-eight-now-nine-vampires room in wonder. I could make out the stitching on Alice's purse, the individual thread on Edward's jeans. I could hear the beeping of Jacob's PSP from at least two floors down. I could sense the tension in the room- not literally, mind you. That was Jasper's job.

I tilted my head at the wary expressions on their faces. _Edward?_ I thought carefully. He twitched.

"Hey, Catherine." He said softly. I couldn't help marveling over the new tones in his voice. Everything sounded so different!

_Hey, guys. Enough excitement for you?_

"She says hi." Edward edited, biting back a smirk. I winked, a smile creeping across my face.

"Well, this sucks." Emmett muttered. I whipped my head around to stare at him. _Excuse me?_ At the look on my face Emmett explained hastily. "You still can't talk? Or won't, or whatever?" I considered for a good second or two.

_I __can__ talk. I'm just not ready. I can feel it. Soon._ Edward relayed the message while I got to my feet, my bare toes analyzing the feel of the carpet with my new senses.

"Woah." Emmett said quietly. I stared at him. _Yes?_ I wasn't the only one staring. He shrugged. "What?"

"What?" Rosalie said.

"What what?"

"You said what first."

"What?"

"Oh, for heavens sake," Bella said, rolling her eyes. Alice caught my eye and we both broke into giggles.

_Back to the point… You were saying something, Emmett?_

_"_Catherine wants to know what you were going on about, Em." Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"Right." Before he could continue, Alice broke into laughter. Edward's eyes widened, and I heard him make a choking sound. I felt my own eyes widen.

_Is he going to-_ A nod from Edward. _But Rosalie'll kill him!_ Another nod. _Oh, God. He's not serious. Is he?_ A third nod, and I resigned myself to watching this new fiasco.

"Well, not that you weren't cute before you changed or anything, but look at you now! If you were a few years older- well…" he waggled his eyebrows and got no further before Jasper roared with laughter and Rosalie smacked him. Bella shook her head, biting her lip. Alice giggled.

I blinked a few times and stared at Emmett, one eyebrow raised. He smiled cockily. I met his eyes for a good five minutes before I noticed everyone else staring at the rest of us. Embarrassment began to needle me, and I dropped my eyes, thankful that my face couldn't go red and give me away.

"Woah." Emmett said again. My head snapped up, suddenly annoyed with this whole spectacle. _What?_

"Jasper, make her embarrassed again," Carlisle said quietly. _What?? _Soon I felt the floor drawing my eyes again. "Now look at your hands, Catherine." I held my hands in front of my face. Except they weren't there. _What the-_

"Sweet." Jasper said. "Invisibility. Never seen that before." I was about to comment on how _duh_ that comment was when the meaning behind the words sunk in. I stared at my hands again. Perfectly normal.

"Congrats." Bella said at last. "Not sure that's the right sentiment, but…" I shrugged. It worked.

I was suddenly aware of the blistering flames in my throat. My hand unconsciously went to my neck. Everyone obviously noticed the movement.

"Right. Who's coming hunting?" Esme asked. Everyone but Edward and Bella raised their hands. I rolled my eyes. _You raise your hands?_ Edward shrugged at me. I let it slide, though I couldn't help snickering once or twice.

Esme led us all out the door, and then she and Carlisle sped ahead to make sure there was no one around. I raced Alice and Jasper to the other side of the river, bounding in big leaps, giggling madly. It was mind-blowing to be moving this fast. Alice laughed with me, sprinting through the forest.

I won't go into detail on the hunting. There's already been enough about that, and –to tell the truth- the thought still makes me a bit squeamish.

When I had had my fill, I stood in the center of a clearing, arms held out, head tilted up to the sky. Everything was new, cleaner and brighter.

_Free_. I thought. I was free. I almost wanted to say it aloud. I could feel it on the tip of my tongue. _Free._ I wanted to whisper it, repeat it louder and louder until I was shouting it. _FreefreefreeFREE!!!_

I stopped myself just in time. Someday I would. Just not now. I thought for a moment. If I wanted to, I could forget my whole past. But I didn't want to. I needed to remember.

So I closed my eyes and let the memories speed by one last time. When I opened my eyes I knew I'd remember everything until the end of time.

I was free.

**Next chap will be up ASAP. ~Cocoa**


	24. Fresh Start

**Hooray, next chapter! **

**Notes that I didn't put up last time: if you wanted the Coven notes, let me know again, lest I forget (again). And.... AHHH 200 REVIEWS!!! Thank you all sooo much. I practically had a heart attack when I saw the review count!!**

**I think that's it... next chapter should be up this weekend, and then the epilogue will be up most likely next Tuesday (the 1 year anniversary of this story).**

**Disclaimer: If I was SM, would I be sitting here watching Potter Puppet Pals? Methinks not.**

When I finally bothered to find my way back, I discovered that I had been wandering in circles for quite a long time, which quite confused my sense of direction. When I thought I heard a car's engine, I backtracked, thinking I was far too close to the main road for being so young.

The engine got louder and louder, tires crunching over gravel instead of rolling over pavement. I held my breath and backed away.

I was nearly out of hearing range when I heard a familiar voice, "Catherine? Come on!" I spun around and stared at Emmett, straddling one of the nicest motorcycle's I'd ever seen.

"Like it?" He asked, noticing my open-mouthed stare. "Edward bought it, decided not to keep it, and gave it to Jasper. Jasper rode it for a while, got bored, and sold it to me." His face darkened for a moment. "Edward just handed over the keys, while it cost me a good-" he broke off and scowled at the nearest tree. I rolled my eyes. Like he didn't have enough money to buy a small Third-world country anyway.

I walked up to the snarling bike, wrinkling my nose at the smell. "Yeah, it doesn't smell that great, but it's a sweet ride," Emmett told me. I shrugged and hopped on behind him. We took off, the bike flying in completely the wrong direction, straight towards the trees.

"Rose and I made a few adjustments! It's an off-road bike now! No worries! Just can't- oops, shi-" he yelled over the rushing wind as we swerved through the forest, nearly crashing into a stump that had abruptly risen from the middle of nowhere.

I unwrapped my arms from where they had automatically clenched around Emmett's waist and lifted them in the air, totally unafraid. Emmett fiddled with a few buttons on the dashboard and soon music blared from the speakers. Emmett whooped. "Excellent!" The bike screeched to a stop in the middle of a clearing as Emmett leaped off and immediately started dancing.

I stared for a long moment before hopping off the bike and joining him. I doubled over laughing as he strutted back and forth, singing into a pinecone only slightly off-key. He slicked back his hair, trying to imitate the lead's looks. I nearly went into hysterics as he serenaded me, getting on his knees, clutching my hand.

By the time we got to the guitar solo I had gotten into the act, too, shaking my head and air-guitaring like the best of them. As the song faded away, Emmett flopped to the ground, putting a hand to his head in mock-exhaustion. "Best song of the 80s. Loved the 80s. Excellent decade for music. Never mind what ol' Eddie says. Hell, Bon Jovi in general is normally pretty excellent." I nodded, still trying to choke back chuckles.

Emmett hauled himself to his feet and got back on the bike, which by now had switched to a song I'd never heard of before. Emmett rolled his eyes and changed the channel. "Of course, there are always exceptions," he muttered under his breath. "Chick song."

By the time we got home, Emmett had sang loudly to twelve different songs, edited the lyrics of three, changed the channel seventeen times, stopped the bike twice more to dance, and tried to teach me seven different dance moves. Needless to say it was an entertaining afternoon.

When we finally got back, Rosalie looked from her husband to the bike to me, and rolled her eyes. "He took the bike." It wasn't a question. "Catherine, I'd like to apologize for Emmett's idiocy. Just in case." I laughed as Emmett glared. I shrugged. He'd taught me some decent dance movies.

I took one more look at the motorcycle. It was a great bike. All silver and clean. Completely bug-free. The license plate was even customized. Waitaminute-

I whipped my head around to stare at the plate. It had to be my imagination. Did it say what I thought it did?

"It does," Edward called. My rant paused for a second to roll my eyes. _Thank you, Edward._ "Welcome!" He called cheerily. I returned to my gaping.

VAMPIRE 1, the plate read. I stared at Rosalie, as if to ask if Emmett was really that dumb. She nodded slowly, rolling her eyes again. We both turned to Emmett and stared. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What?" He asked, as we continued to stare at him. Rosalie smacked him, while I burst into giggles again.

*************************************************************************

Things started to fall into a new rhythm pretty quickly. I was pretty much constantly around Nessie and Jacob, when he was around. The others? Well, they had pretty much reverted to their normal nighttime activities.

Of course, Nessie and Jacob had their moments, too. When things got a bit too mushy for my tastes, I holed up in my room and read from the huge selection of books the Cullens had accumulated. (I wondered vaguely who had bought Dracula and a whole bunch of teen vampire books- yet another subtle hint if I hadn't figured it out.)

All in all, it was pretty quiet. When not being attacked by other vampires, trying to round a group up against the Volturi, or getting involved in werewolf drama, the Cullens really didn't do all that much. Mostly just hung around, played games, read, and- as Nessie so eloquently put it- sucked face.

So I lounged around, read, wrote, drew, played Alice in poker (stupid mistake- lost twenty bucks before I made Nessie join up), and daydreamed. We all got together one night and played Life- something Jacob said was pretty ironic. Another (sunny) day we had a Monopoly marathon.

Cullen tradition was to play in actual money, with bank money going to charities. Alice, Bella, and Emmett each chipped in to get me started, but once I had the money, I blew them all out of the water. I had always liked Monopoly. It was fun, and funny to watch Jasper land on Boardwalk with three houses on it. Jacob had collected a surprising amount of Monopoly games as birthday gifts (I didn't bother asking why) and brought at least five over, in addition to the Cullen's first-edition traditional set. We played for at least nine hours straight before Jacob and Nessie begged a rest. Emmett and I set Jacob up on a cot so Alice couldn't cheat and ruin our winning streaks.

For a being who the sun was supposed to be fatal, sunny days were almost the most fun at the Cullen household. Those were the days we all had to spend together, mostly under Esme's orders. On a particularly long streak of sunny days, we watched movies for three days straight- Twilight (of course), all the available Harry Potter movies (which of course during the fourth movie led to a chorus of 'Cedric Diggory isn't dead, he just became a vampire!) and assorted Disney movies, at the request of Nessie and Bella. We only stopped when the clouds finally came out and we all needed to hunt.

So life moved on. There were still moments where little things sent me into memories, but most of the bad memories were blissfully fuzzy, and I knew they'd go away soon. Soon I would only remember the good things, like my parents and my friends.

But life- for once – was peaceful. And so time moved on.

**I know, it seems short. But when combined with the last chap (New) it's pretty much the length of an average chapter. **

**As for the poll results.. I'll keep them in mind, but for now I think I'm going to go with my muse (who is poking me in the way of Outsiders. *pokes muse back*) **

**200 REVIEWS!! Love you all!!**

**Cocoa =D**

**P.S. Who's seen Half-Blood Prince?**


	25. Forever Family

**Final chapter! Hard to believe, right?**

**I know, it's been over a week since I was supposed to post. I forgot how busy my life was going to be. I'm actually typing this on my way home from Niagara falls. Veryvery pretty, but the way.**

**Enough yammering. Here you go!**

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE.**

Life was good. Things were relatively peaceful. We were moving.

"We've been here too long," Edward told me. "We've been here, what, five years, maybe?"

"Seven!" Esme shouted from upstairs.

"That's the second longest we've lived in a place all together," Rosalie said as she passed me on the stairs, carrying a box of shoes.

"Third," Carlisle corrected as he went back upstairs. "Maine and Denali were longer."

It was still funny how they talked, to me. I couldn't imagine living long enough with the same people to complete their sentences, but I figured it would become second nature sooner or later.

"So where are we going?" Nessie asked as she passed me in the hallway, carrying a huge stack of books. Jasper steadied the pile as she walked by his room, and then held the door open for another load of Alice's clothes. I shrugged as I propped open the door to my room with a spare copy of Twilight.

"Not sure," Alice replied, answering Nessie's question. "Nobody's come up with anything good, so we don't have a definite answer yet. Any ideas?"

"I haven't been to Australia yet," Esme mused. Edward nixed that idea quickly.

"Esme, _kangaroos?_ " he said with disdain. "There really isn't that much there." I half-listened as I packed stacks and stacks of books into boxes. _Where have you all been?_ I asked Edward as he passed my room again.

"Alice, where have we been since you joined us?" he called down the hallway.

"Maine, Denali, Britain, somewhere in Illinois, and- where did we spend that decade or so island-hopping?- and assorted Pacific islands." Alice reeled off quickly.

"Don't forget that stint in Japan!" Jasper reminded her. I felt my eyes going wider and wider at this impressive list.

"Did we ever use that property in Wyoming?" Rosalie asked.

"Carlisle and Esme vacation there, remember?" Edward told her.

_Forget it- my brain's going to explode. Is there anywhere you __haven't__ been?_ I asked.

Edward considered. "We've never done Africa. Anyone for Africa? If we go out in the middle of nowhere, we should be fine."

"Nah, let's do India," Emmett suggested. "Bella, you ever wanted to be Buddhist?"

I ignored this new train of conversation and focused on packing up the many things that inhabited my room.

After a few minutes, Jacob wandered into my room. I blinked at him in confusion. I hadn't even noticed his presence in the house. He grinned easily at me.

"So you're leaving," he said conversationally. I rolled my eyes. _Obviously._ "Want help packing?" I shrugged, and he took this as a yes. He knelt in front of the TV and started taking DVD cases out of the stand. "Jeez, you have a lot of stuff. Alice must've gone wild when Esme decided to adopt." I bit back a smile and turned back to my bookcase.

_So are you coming with us?_ I asked before immediately realizing I wasn't talking to Edward. _Edward, ask Jake my question._

"Jake, Catherine wants to know if you're coming with us," Edward called obediently. _Thank you._

Jake didn't hesitate before replying. "Of course I'm coming. I need to come for Ness. I figure it's only a matter of time before-" he broke off and blushed, a goof y smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Anyway, my life is here now. With the Cullens. My dad gets it, and the pack knew it would happen eventually. We'll just have to meet up sometimes. We'll be okay," he said, unconsciously slipping into the pack plural. He smiled, his teeth glittering. "But that doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is that I'm with Nessie forever. We're all family now."

Family.

Forever.

Even as our time in Forks came to a close, new things continued to happen. I was a Cullen more and more every day, even as our things got packed up and placed in numerous different cars. Alice promised to teach me how to drive as soon as we got settled again, and Emmett was already giving me my first motorcycle lessons. Rosalie and Jasper promised to buy me a car in a year or so, as a sort-of-sixteenth-birthday present.

Probably most importantly was the way Emmett was spending all hours of the day attempting to trace his family history down to the present. We were all doing it- even Alice, though she had already done most of her research after the episode with James. While they were working their down, Bella and I were working our way up, just for giggles. Bella had already discovered a president and a famous actor among her ancestors, and Rosalie's sister's daughter's niece was none other than Shirley Temple.

But Emmett was taking it most seriously. Ever since we had discovered that my dad's name was the same as his brother's name, he had spent every free minute trying to track down his brother's descendents. I normally sat next to him on my own laptop, working up, comparing names and dates with him while he chatted with everyone else as they ambled around, packing and doing whatever else needed to be done.

Sometimes Rosalie joined us, or Jasper, or even Carlisle, who had almost four hundred years of history to muddle through. There was a time or two when Jacob would come in hand in hand with Nessie and find all nine of us sprawled in various positions all fiddling around on laptops.

It was just Emmett and I on the occasion that changed everything. It was the day before we were set to leave. We still hadn't decided where we were going to end up, eventually just deciding to drive in all different directions and call when we found someplace interesting. From the way Edward and Rosalie took this suggestion, I could tell it wasn't all that new of an idea.

We were tapping away at our laptops in companionable silence. We had hunted the day before yesterday, along with Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper. The two girls had taken this opportunity for last-minute shopping, while Jasper got dragged along in order to carry bags and, as Rosalie put it, to practice his 'people skills'. The pained look on his face made me giggle. This apparently wasn't a new idea, either.

I rolled my shoulder s and put my arms up, stretching out my back after sitting in the same position for a while. True, I never got sore from sitting, but old habits were hard to break. Emmett was on a page filled with the names of several people with the last name McCarty that were born in the late sixties.

My eyes widened as they landed on a familiar combination of letters. I knew that name. _Wait_. I thought. Then a terrible thought struck me. Edward wasn't here. Now what? Emmett's finger hovered over the **New Search** button, and searches were always automatically deleted. Who knew how long it would take to find the name again?

"Wait." I said. Emmett's finger froze over the mousepad. "Move." I said, not trusting myself past one-word answers. He scooted over one spot, leaving the laptop on the counter, and I slid onto his chair.

I pulled up a document on my computer and passed it to him silently, than clicked the link on the name I recognized. The same document popped up on the screen. Emmett's jaw dropped. I ignored this and pulled up a few more names, adding them to his family tree as I went. He had found my uncle's name. From there I could find my dad, my mom, and then myself, all the way up to the death certificate Rosalie had forged for me.

Rosalie…something about a name caught my attention. I disappeared upstairs and reappeared with a third laptop. I pulled up Rosalie's family tree and traced down her sister's line. It ended with a very familiar name. I showed all three laptops to Emmett, and his jaw dropped even further.

"Let me get this straight." He said at last. "My brother's great-grandkid – my great-grandnephew – married Rosalie's grandniece?" I double-checked my facts, but it looked about accurate.

"Yep." I said at last. "Funny how life works, isn't it?" Our eyes met, and Emmett wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug.

"You're my family. You and Rosalie. For real. Who would've thought?" He said quietly.

"Family." I said, just as quietly.

"Family. Forever." He said, squeezing me tight before letting me go.

"Forever."

**=D That's been coming for almost a year. Teehee Catherine talked, Catherine talked... :)**

**The story is finished, the epilogue will be posted tomorrow. !!**

**Cocoa =D**


	26. Epilogue: Catherine's Song

**I can't believe this is the epilogue. Well over a year, and now it's over. *sniffles*. Well, here ya' go!**

**Disclaimer: Not SM. Although she gets kudos for getting me to write a 45,000 word fanfic.**

_Dear Journal,_

_We're leaving Forks for good. Well, at least for a hundred years or so. That's the amount of time it takes for us Cullens to be truly forgotten. It's kind of sad how memory can just fade away. I don't think I'll be having that problem._

_We still haven't decided where to go. We're going to put the extra cars in storage, and go two to a car. Nessie and Emmett are arguing like three-year-olds about whose car I'm going in, Emmett and Rosalie's or Nessie and Jacob's. I might just go with Alice and Jasper, to spite them all._

_Alice thinks that would be a very good plan of action._

_Jacob would like me to mention that I smell bad anyway, and doesn't want his car to be contaminated. _

_Nessie just slapped Jacob; she apparently doesn't like people insulting her family._

_Anyway…on our way wherever we decide to go we're going to look for my brothers and sisters. We're going to take them along with us. Hopefully they won't have gotten into too much trouble. We don't want any trouble with the Volturi. _

_Carlisle, admittedly, is curious. He wants to know if we all have talents that manifest before we are changed. And yes, that's his exact words. Nessie translated for me- gifts like my shielding that we have before being vampires. I don't know for sure. It always seemed like Robby and Maria could read each other's minds. Maybe that was special. Maybe that was just a twin thing._

_I'm ready to move. I'm ready for this new part of my life. _

_You know, I've always liked to make up songs. Until a few months ago, most of them were sad little ballads, or angry little rockers that I always imagined with lots of guitar. Now sometimes we fool around with my old stuff, with Edward on piano, Jasper on guitar, and one of us girls singing, like some kind of emo Rock-Band game. Bella calls us the Catherine Cullen Project._

_Lately we've been doing bouncier stuff. Edward's thinking of digging out some recording stuff and making an album or two for Esme for Christmas. We're tentatively calling it 'Catherine's Song'. The title song could use some work, but we're using the melody from Edward's piece for me. It's calm and a little sad, but hopeful all at the same time. A good metaphor for my life._

"Catherine!" Emmett hollered. "We're leaving without you!" I slammed my journal shut and pounded down the steps, never looking back at the empty rooms. Only when I reached the front door did I look back, taking in one last memory of the place where I truly found home.

"Catherine!" Emmett yelled. I rolled my eyes.

"Coming!!" I yelled back. I spared one last glance before shutting the front door and sprinting to Emmett's Jeep. As he sped down the long winding driveway, he hummed a little ditty under his breath. Rosalie joined in a moment later, her voice in perfect harmony to his. I didn't recognize the song, but it felt familiar, like I knew exactly how I fit.

With a nod from Rosalie I joined my voice to theirs, singing quietly over theirs, somehow matching their song and changing it just the slightest bit. The three of us sang together, no words, all feeling. Somehow I knew exactly where we needed to go, and I knew where we'd already been.

I pictured how we must look, and realized that we must look like a family. True, I was too old to be their baby, but for our purposes that's exactly what I was. We were a family.

Just as our impromptu concert came to an end, I realized exactly what we had been singing. The melody had been changed a bit, the tempo sped up, but the ending was exactly the same as it had always been. I smiled. Emmett and Rosalie grinned at me and at each other, their hands intertwined on the armrest. I'd never been happier than I was in that moment.

We had been singing Catherine's song. My song.

**The End.**

**I have sooo many people to thank for getting me this far. **

**First and always, my best friend in the whole world, Nika/ ****jedigirl627****. Luv ya, girl!!**

**Second, my wonderful beta, williammoselygirl, who helped me along in my quest to figure out the differences between than and then! ;D**

**Third, a few of the amazing friends I've met through the Twilight fandom: kittykata, Completely Dipendente, vaporeon13204, and soo many others. **

**Thank you especially to Belle95, who has been reviewing Silent Song since the very first few days, when I was a complete and total newbie. **

**Thank you to everyone who ever attempted any of my contests, especially HerMemoriesErased, who figured out most of the plot halfway through and gave me the idea for this epilogue title. **

**Thank you to each and every person who ever reviewed. All your reviews have made me smile when I'm down. **

**For those of you who are looking to try something out of the Twilight fandom, I just posted an Outsiders fic a week ago, have a Mary Poppins work going, and have several other pieces in the works. Moments With Esme chapters will come when I get the inspiration. Maaaybe look for a new chapter soon; I have no idea, and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up.**

**With this, Silent Song is complete. Thank you all again! It's been an amazing year!**

**Cocoa =D**


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